1. Why do some workers refuse to share their job knowledge with either their co-workers or with management? What can management do to encourage workers to share their job knowledge? Empowerment can be a tricky process, particularly in an era when layoffs are common and employees may not trust management, so managers who assume that all workers want to be empowered may be in for a rude shock. Consider these examples:

• One employee who cut metal shafts for industrial pumps at Blackmer in Grand Rapids, Michigan, had a reputation for being both fast and accurate in his work. He refused to share his knowledge with management (or his fellow workers) because he feared that management would use the knowledge to speed up the workflow and that he would then have to work faster.