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Sandarani & Wattegama
partcipants’ morale. Moreover, the
efficiency and quality of the work
performed by the machine operators have
improved from the enhanced morale (Mean
Effeiciency-after > Mean Efficiency-before; Mean
Quality-after > Mean Quality-before) which is due to
the participation for the empowerment
programs because the Mean Average post-
performance > Mean Average pre-performance of the
machine operators.
6 CONCLUSION
The objective of undertaking this study
was to check whether there is any effect of
enhanced morale of an emplyee on
improving the work performance via the
empowerment programs that he/she has
partcipated. Among the five factors that
were found from the literature for measuring
the effects of empoerment programs on
enhancing the employee morale, the
relationship developed / improved with the
fellow employees during such programs was
not shown as signifcant in the present study
context. The type of empowerment program
that was selected for the study was a talent
show which has been organized for the
machine operators to showcase the different
talents that they have, such as singing,
dancing, and so on. This is very much
competitive in nature. As a result, the effect
of fellow employee relationship may not be
deemed as significant factor for enhancing
the respective particpant’s morale. Making
multiskilled workers, managing workloads,
and correct identification of the type of the
empowerment program that is given to the
machine operators according to the
organizational job requirement can be some
of the alternative solutions for the apparel
manufaturers to develop strong relationship
among the peers under the machine operator
employement category. Finally, the future
researchers can do similar investigations by
making differences among the types of
empowerment programs that are selected
and compare the effects of each type on
enhancing the employee morale, thereby the
improvement of work performance via each
of such programs.
168
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