Available Online at http://iassr.org/journal 2014 (c) EJRE published by International Association of Social Science Research - IASSR European Journal of Research on Education ISSN: 2147-6284 European Journal of Research on Education, 2014, 2(Special Issue00), 62-70 DOI: 10.15527/ejre.201426560 62 Employee empowerment in new public management approach and a research Keziban Kaymakçı a *, Sümeyra Babacan b a Denizli Board of Health, 20100, Denizli, Turkey b Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Fethiye Faculty of Management, 48300, Fethiye, Muğla, Turkey Abstract The public management paradigm has been changing in the process of globalization and gaining the properties of professional, entrepreneur, responsible and accountable management style. In new public management, the essence is a mentality which is away from solid hierarchy, is not lost in bureaucracy and keeps the priorities and preferences of service receivers in the centre. Employee empowerment is defined as the increase of employees’ authorization and participation in organizational decisions; and gives the employee initiative and accountability. It is important in ensuring highest efficiency and quality from human resources, which is the most important strategic resource and competition tool of organizations. Job satisfaction can be defined as a positive emotional situation and interpretation about job. Job satisfaction is important for the organizations because it results in many positive organizational results like higher performance, lower employee turnover, quality and efficiency. In this research; the relations among the perceptions of employees about employee empowerment and their demographic variables are assessed. The research is conducted through a questionnaire with 128 public sector employees in Denizli. In the results; it was seen that employees have the highest perception of empowerment in the “competence” dimension, whereas the lowest dimension being “impact”. It was also seen that there is no significant difference in the perception of employee empowerment according to gender, education level, tenure and title. It was found that, “competence” dimension has a positive and low-level correlation with job satisfaction. According to the regression analysis, employee empowerment dimensions have no effect on job satisfaction. © 2013 European Journal of Research on Education by IASSR. Keywords: Empowerment, new public management, health sector 1. Employee Empowerment In New Public Management Approach 1.1. New Public Management From the 1980s onwards, there has been a series of reforms in public management in western governments and public sector organizations. These reforms, which aim to improve efficiency and performance, are called as “New Public Management”. New Public Management is characterized by the usage of new management techniques and instruments. (Pollitt, Thiel & Homburg, 2007: 1) The new public management paradigm, is gaining the properties of professional, entrepreneur, responsible and accountable management style affected by the private sector * E-mail address: k_kaymakuci@hotmail.com