| Abstract: | This study explores the relationship between employee empowerment and organizational
effectiveness at the Addis Ababa Water and Sewerage Authority (AAWSA), focusing on key
variables such as autonomy, participation in decision-making, skill development, accountability,
and leadership support. The general objective of the research was to examine how these factors
contribute to enhancing organizational effectiveness, measured through service quality,
operational efficiency, and employee satisfaction. A mixed-methods research design was
employed, combining both quantitative and qualitative approaches to gain a comprehensive
understanding of the subject. The population included employees and leaders at AAWSA, with a
stratified random sampling technique used to select 261 respondents for the quantitative survey
and purposive sampling for 4 in-depth interviews with leaders. Data collection tools included
structured questionnaires and semi-structured interview guides, and data analysis involved
reliability tests, descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, regression analysis, and thematic
analysis for qualitative data. The findings revealed that all five empowerment factors had a
statistically significant and positive influence on organizational effectiveness, with leadership
support and skill development showing the strongest impacts. Challenges such as limited
resources, resistance to change, and gaps in accountability mechanisms were also identified.
The study concludes that fostering employee empowerment through targeted initiatives can
significantly enhance organizational performance and offers recommendations for AAWSA, city
administration, and national-level stakeholders to strengthen empowerment practices. |
