______ is defined as the degree to which managers allow employees to act independently within their job description.

______ is defined as the degree to which managers allow employees to act independently within their job description.

• A. Empowerment
• B. Delegation
• C. Autonomy
• D. Self-Management

Answer: (A)

Empowerment is about giving employees the authority, resources, and information they need to make decisions and act within the boundaries of their job description. When managers allow people to act independently within their roles, they’re empowering them, because the focus is on enabling autonomous action and decision-making. Delegation involves shifting tasks and accountability for those tasks to others, but it doesn’t necessarily grant broader decision-making authority or the ongoing support that empowerment provides. Autonomy refers to freedom to decide how to do the work, which is a part of empowerment but empowerment encompasses more—the authority and resources to act, plus the backing of management. Self-management is about individuals controlling their own work processes, which is related but describes a broader way of working, not specifically the degree of independence granted within a job description. So the best fit for the definition is empowerment.

Empowerment is about giving employees the authority, resources, and information they need to make decisions and act within the boundaries of their job description. When managers allow people to act independently within their roles, they’re empowering them, because the focus is on enabling autonomous action and decision-making.

Delegation involves shifting tasks and accountability for those tasks to others, but it doesn’t necessarily grant broader decision-making authority or the ongoing support that empowerment provides. Autonomy refers to freedom to decide how to do the work, which is a part of empowerment but empowerment encompasses more—the authority and resources to act, plus the backing of management. Self-management is about individuals controlling their own work processes, which is related but describes a broader way of working, not specifically the degree of independence granted within a job description.

So the best fit for the definition is empowerment.