An examination of the mediating role of psychological empowerment on the relations between the job, interpersonal relationships, and work outcomes.

Abstract

A field investigation of 337 employees and their immediate superiors tested the mediating role of empowerment in relations between job characteristics, leader-member exchange (LMX), team-member exchange (TMX), and work outcomes. The meaning and competence dimensions of empowerment mediated the relation between job characteristics and work satisfaction. The meaning dimension also mediated the relation between job characteristics and organizational commitment. Contrary to prediction, empowerment did not mediate relations between LMX, TMX, and the outcome variables. Rather, LMX and TMX were directly related to organizational commitment. In addition, TMX was directly related to job performance. These findings suggest that work satisfaction is explained largely by job characteristics (through empowerment) but that LMX and TMX combine with job characteristics and empowerment to explain variation in organizational commitment and job performance.

A multi-level analysis of team climate and interpersonal exchange relationships at work

“…Specifically, TMX focuses on an individual's willingness to assist other members, to share ideas and feedback and, in turn, to provide information to other members and to receive recognition from other members (Seers, 1989;Seers et al, 1995). Contemporary research on TMX has primarily focused on identifying different types of justice, team temporal scope, communication mediation, and supervisor-subordinate relationships as the antecedents of TMX (e.g., Alge, Wiethoff, & Klein, 2003;Hiller & Day, 2003;Liden, Wayne, & Sparrowe, 2000;Sherony & Green, 2002).…”

The Impact of Empowerment and Quality Culture on Job Satisfaction

“…Liden and colleagues (2000) studied employees in lower levels of several major divisions of a large service organization. They also found the meaning cognition of psychological empowerment to have a significant relationship with work (Liden et al, 2000). Meaning can be defined as a consistency between an individual's beliefs, values and behaviors and the requirements of the job.…”

“…Thomas and Dunkerly claimed in their study conducted in England that lower levels of empowerment led to decreases in the level of job satisfaction. Meaning, being one of the four components of empowerment, has been proven as the most related dimension to job satisfaction according to the study carried out by Liden et al(2000). Furthermore, they have asserted that the other three dimensions have also positive effects on job satisfaction.…”

“…Spreitzer also asserted that the autonomy dimension of empowerment is a psychological need and this dimension provides internal motivation. Related to the effect dimension of empowerment Liden (2000) stated: "Individuals perceive themselves as the part of the job when they believe that they could affect the work outcomes; thus, they could be more satisfied". In accordance with these arguments, individuals having the feeling of self efficacy have acquired more satisfaction (Bordin, Bartram and Casimir, 2007, s.37).…”

“…Empowerment could be applied more easily by satisfying many requirements of the concept of empowerment. The concept of empowerment, studied as a motivational phenomenon, has been frequently related to the terms like job satisfaction in the literature , Liden and Sparrowe, 2000, Osborne, 2002, Bordin, Bartram and Casimir, 2007. The dimensions of empowerment and its impact on quality culture could enable managers aiming to applying empowerment to motivate employees more effectively while solving quality problems.…”