Theoretical considerations of employee empowerment within computer integrated manufacturing production

Global business pressures have forced manufacturers to restructure design and production processes, adopting radically different management practices to gain competitive advantage. Employee empowerment continues to receive attention as a means of effectively appropriating and deploying human skills and knowledge. Employees are seen as critical components of the innovation‐led model of manufacturing which is evolving in response to unstable markets. This paper explores the concept of empowerment and conditions for its effective realisation in Computer Integrated Manufacturing production. Existing theory which underpins the authors’ view of empowerment is considered as a framework to facilitate further investigation of empowerment in Computer Integrated Manufacturing.