Structural and Psychological Empowerment in R&D Teams

Innovation success requires structural and psychological empowerment. This article reports the results of a study examining factors associated with empowerment among R&D teams. The study findings revealed the benefits of structural (granted) empowerment and determined that the motivational aspects of psychological (perceived) empowerment are critical to helping R&D teams make influential contributions in their organizations. Leadership policies that help teams set their work goals, develop processes for achieving those goals, and articulate clear objectives and institute norms for progressing work are significant. Team members perceive they are empowered under three conditions: (1) when they feel free to set goals, choose processes, and use flexible approaches to project management; (2) when project team leaders are part of the problem identification process for scoping the project; and (3) when the team is free to access expertise from across the organization as needed. Although study participants identified team leaders’ leadership style as the most important enabler of empowerment, companies rarely invest in leadership development for project leaders. Not all team members are interested in being empowered, which has implications for selection and hiring of R&D personnel.