EMPLOYEE FREEDOM: TILL WHAT EXTENT?

In this study we aimed to assess the perceptions of employees regarding the different autonomy initiatives undertaken by managers to satisfy their employees and let them be more motivated in order to reach the organizational goals effectively and efficiently. We employed an exploratory study through a survey questionnaire addressed to 50 employees working in top five companies in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Our main finding show that the level of the autonomy in the sample companies is perceived as to be at moderated level especially concerning the goals or the strategies of the work since the majority of our companies are operating in banking sector. Nonetheless it seems that the autonomy provides a sense of self-determination for these employees even when freedom leeway and choice are trivial or illusory. Furthermore, it is very interesting to reveal that autonomy is one of the essential elements in building true employee engagement.