The principle: Humans crave independence and control so giving it to them at work should be a good thing.
The caveat: As people feel increasingly autonomous, they can also become unmoored from others’ needs, expectations and social norms.
Research results: Managers who value being respected will respond to empowerment initiatives by, in turn, empowering their workers. But, managers who value being in charge will respond to empowerment initiatives by closely controlling and dominating their employees.
In other words, empowerment can lead to more autonomous employees, but micromanagers will micromanage.
— from a journal article by Nicholas Hays and Russell E. Johnson of Michigan State University, and Hun Whee Lee from Ohio State University.