This paper examines the diffusion, application, and outcomes of the empowerment concept in Korea to understand the process and effects of the transfer of Western management concepts. As in many countries around the world, the concept of empowerment has been rapidly spreading in Korea. However, its meaning and methods of application differ depending on the adopting organization, and in some cases, it is already being treated as a passing fad. Therefore, this paper investigates the extent of empowerment utilization, the channels and timing of its introduction, the understanding and implementation methods, and its outcomes. Questionnaires were distributed to and collected from approximately 170 domestic and foreign companies in Korea, with surveys conducted twice (in 1995 and 1998) to examine changes over time. The survey results revealed that, despite its popularity in Korea, the number of firms that had actually implemented empowerment was not large. However, the number of firms intending to adopt it was expected to increase significantly within a few years. Influences from academia and foreign companies were found to have significantly affected the diffusion and application of empowerment. In terms of actual application, empowerment was being applied from three perspectives: delegation of authority, enhancement of group and organizational power and performance, and self-development. The delegation of authority perspective was still the most common approach, but its application was gradually declining, while the power and performance enhancement perspective had increased significantly over the three-year period. The self-development approach had not yet been widely applied, but its utilization was expected to increase in the future.