It seems that empowerment has become a dirty word, and work on empowerment has been supplanted by “engagement” (which, in practical terms, has the same result). Perhaps that is natural for anything that has been a fad, or perhaps most people do not realize that empowerment is aimed at the bottom line as well as the employees. Both explanations seem to work, since the same principle is still promoted, using different words (e.g., "flattening the organization").

Pushing power down to the lowest possible level - that is, empowerment - is quite handy, though. Senior executives can enjoy higher productivity and the flexibility that comes of being able to make fast changes. Managers do not have to do it all themselves, and are not bombarded with trivial authorizations. Employees find that their jobs are a better match for their abilities, and are more likely to stay where they are, despite a hot job market.