Flexible Management and Empowered Work - Myth or Reality?

The present working paper discusses the spread of empowered work as well as the organisational features enhancing empowered work. The paper presents empirical evidence showing that empowered work - that is work characterized by variation, autonomy and continuos professional development - did not become more widespread, and that empowered work remains the prerogative of those with higher education. The study is based on a combined employer-employee-survey, comprising data on the working conditions of 6,000 employees in both 1990 and 1995, and their 3,000 workplaces.