Final answer:
Work-Out, a method developed at General Electric, directly corresponds with the described process of employing employee participation to present ideas to management.
Step-by-step explanation:
The method for generating new ideas using employee participation and empowerment that was pioneered at General Electric is Work-Out. This technique offers a way for employees to present new ideas directly to top management without the barriers of hierarchical chain of command. Although it's not one of the provided options, Work-Out aligns with the described process in the question.
However, among the given choices, brainstorming is the closest to the process described. The goal of brainstorming is to develop a wide variety of ideas without immediately concerning oneself with their feasibility. It encourages creative thinking and allows for a broad range of ideas, which can later be refined and assessed for practicality.
Brainstorming often employs sketches or other visual aids to capture and generate ideas. This method aligns with Theory Y management, which supports the notion that employees are naturally motivated and seek fulfillment in contributing creatively and participatively to their workplace. It's a fundamental practice in design thinking and creativity that is used across various disciplines to generate innovative solutions.