The evolution of a mature democracy can be directly related to the level of empowerment experienced by its citizens and institutions. To understand this correlation, it is necessary to develop clarity about the process of empowerment in any given society. However, the term ‘empowerment’ is used widely in a variety of contexts with an equally wide range of meanings. The growing emphasis on participative systems of governance and management at all levels of organisational functioning in society is an important factor that has contributed to the wide use of the term ‘empowerment’ today. The world of business, the field of social development, the sphere of government and legislation are some of the more prominent contexts where this term has gained currency. Independently, these contexts address different segments of society in their thrust of empowerment and strive to achieve different objectives in their respective fields of action. The following randomly selected sample of available definitions, pertaining to different contexts, provide a fair idea of the varied connotations of the term.

Business Organisations

In the business context, empowerment is generally visualised as the process which generates and continually sustains a working environment that provides for individual creativity to express itself to the maximum possible extent. In the words of D. C. Kinlaw (1995), it is ‘the process of achieving continuous improvement in an organisation's performance by developing and extending the competent influence of individuals and teams over the areas and functions which affect their performance and that of the total organisation’.