An analysis is made here of the empowerment implementation process in two manufacturing companies. Empowerment is a work design approach aimed at delegating decision making, autonomy and employee participation in company management. The development of empowerment is analyzed through the evolutionary stages of management areas, organizational configurations, competitive strategies, and human resources and quality management. A case study of two manufacturing companies in the state of São Paulo was conducted to analyze the degree of employee participation according to the stages of evolution of their management areas. The conclusions section of this article discusses the favorable factors, peculiarities and limitations of empowerment revealed during these case studies.
empowerment; evolution stages of management areas; human resource management; quality management; company strategy
