The perception gap in employee empowerment: a comparative study of banks in Sweden and Britain

Abstract

Forms of employee empowerment often associated with HRM initiatives have increased considerably in recent years. This research examines communicational forms of empowerment in a British and Swedish bank. The findings are contextualised against a rapidly changing environment which characterised the banking sector in the 1990s. Research of this nature is often conducted in a mono‐cultural context despite the fact there is increasing evidence that managerial practices, including empowerment, are highly influenced by societal factors. The research confirms previous assumptions that Swedish workers have greater participation than the British in the workplace, but the strength of participation is mediated by external factors such as labour law, social values, technological change and economic conditions. Such factors can negatively impact on alternative forms of communication via trade unions. In such periods effective employee involvement is restricted to micro levels, despite expectations by employees of more involvement in organisational issues at macro levels.