Final answer:
The operations management trend that encourages more decision making by individual workers is decentralization, which promotes autonomy and responsiveness in organizations and fits well within the data-rich context of the information age.
Step-by-step explanation:
The operations management trend that moves more decision making to the individual worker is decentralization. This trend is part of the broader shift in workplace dynamics and management theory, which now emphasizes autonomy and employee empowerment. It stands as a contrast to the traditional centralized decision-making process where only higher-level management would make the major decisions affecting the operations of the company. Decentralization allows for a more agile and responsive organizational structure, where decisions can be made closer to the action by those with more specific knowledge of the context and issues at hand. This leads to increased job satisfaction, as workers feel more valued and able to contribute their insights and skills effectively. Moreover, this trend fits well with the information age, where access to data and rapid communication enable better decision-making at lower levels of an organization.