LO #s LO7662 and LO7672 (old LO6240)
The subject is empowerment. Replying to Diane Korzeniewski, there was a
flurry of LO exchanges on empowerment around March of this year. I'm
sorry if you missed the many helpful discussions. David Birren's LO6240
is one example of one of the more substantive contributions.
[Host's Note: David Birren's msg and the start of the thread is at...
Linkname: Learning-Org Mar1996: It's not just semantics LO6240
URL: http://world.std.com/~lo/96.03/0315.html
...Rick]
As with many individuals on the LO list, I have been interested in
empowerment for several years, and it is ALWAYS a major topic in my OB
courses. I won't try to satisfy your request for "a mutually acceptable
definition or description" in this e mail, but I'd be happy to correspond
off-line, including sending you copies of references, teaching notes, etc.
The one thing I will say is that I've tried to distinguish between
empowerment and enablement, though over time the distinctions are blurring
even for me. Additionally, though we often mean different things when we
talk about empowerment, its fundamental qualities are what most of our
efforts strive for in the domains of organizational development,
organizational learning, action research/action learning, participative
management, workplace democracy, and so forth.
Please call or write if you'd like to continue the conversation.
J. Martin Hays, Ed.D.
Change Management Division, DTS-69
The Volpe Center
55 Broadway, Kendall Square
Cambridge, MA 02142
(617) 494-2095
--"Hays, Joe" <HAYS@volpe1.dot.gov>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>