Modeling time-lagged reciprocal psychological empowerment–performance relationships.

Abstract

Employee psychological empowerment is widely accepted as a means for organizations to compete in increasingly dynamic environments. Previous empirical research and meta-analyses have demonstrated that employee psychological empowerment is positively related to several attitudinal and behavioral outcomes including job performance. While this research positions psychological empowerment as an antecedent influencing such outcomes, a close examination of the literature reveals that this relationship is primarily based on cross-sectional research. Notably, evidence supporting the presumed benefits of empowerment has failed to account for potential reciprocal relationships and endogeneity effects. Accordingly, using a multiwave, time-lagged design, we model reciprocal relationships between psychological empowerment and job performance using a sample of 441 nurses from 5 hospitals. Incorporating temporal effects in a staggered research design and using structural equation modeling techniques, our findings provide support for the conventional positive correlation between empowerment and subsequent performance. Moreover, accounting for the temporal stability of variables over time, we found support for empowerment levels as positive influences on subsequent changes in performance. Finally, we also found support for the reciprocal relationship, as performance levels were shown to relate positively to changes in empowerment over time. Theoretical and practical implications of the reciprocal psychological empowerment-performance relationships are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

Empowered to Perform: A Multilevel Investigation of the Influence of Empowerment on Performance in Hospital Units

“…Recent work has demonstrated that such effects are likely to exist and failing to account for them may inflate the estimated magnitude of empowerment effects (Maynard, Luciano, D'Innocenzo, Mathieu, & Dean, 2014). Notably, our substantive hypotheses concern the influences of empowerment variables on a time-lagged measure of performance.…”

“…Lagged designs provide a somewhat stronger basis for drawing causal inferences than do cross-sectional designs (cf., Mathieu & Taylor, 2006). Given that most of the literature on empowerment is based on correlational results (Maynard et al, 2012), the question of temporal sequencing becomes a salient concern as prior performance may influence feelings of psychological empowerment and thus creates an avenue for reciprocal effects (Maynard et al, 2014). Furthermore, controlling for prior levels of the criterion when testing for predictive relations creates an even stronger theoretical and empirical design which enables modeling of potential endogeneity effects (Williams & Podsakoff, 1989).…”

Personal growth initiative as a predictor of psychological empowerment: The mediating role of job crafting

“…In organizational settings, employees are more likely to be autonomous when they feel psychologically empowered or experience a sense of control in relation to their work (Spreitzer, ). Prior studies have shown that psychological empowerment (PE), or a psychological state based on four cognitions (meaning, competence, self‐determination, and impact; Spreitzer, ), positively influences work outcomes, including behavioral involvement (Boudrias, Morin, & Lajoie, ), organizational commitment (Liden, Wayne, & Sparrowe, ), engagement in creative processes (Zhang & Bartol, ), customer‐oriented citizenship behaviors (Kang & Bartlett, ), and performance (Maynard, Luciano, D'Innocenzo, Mathieu, & Dean, ). Indeed, relevant research has convincingly confirmed that enhancing PE helps organizations promote innovation and performance.…”

Leaders’ Behaviors Matter: The Role of Delegation in Promoting Employees’ Feedback-Seeking Behavior

“…First, as Bass said, “delegation implies that one has been empowered by one’s superior to take responsibility for certain activities” (Bass, 1990, p. 437). It used to be thought that delegation was very closely related to the concept of empowerment (e.g., Locke and Schweiger, 1979; Miller and Monge, 1986; Cotton, 1988, 1993), but a clear distinction is now drawn between them (e.g., Sigler and Pearson, 2000; Niehoff et al, 2001; Randolph and Kemery, 2011; Frazier and Fainshmidt, 2012; Maynard et al, 2014) and there have been few studies demonstrating an association between them. Our findings provide evidence that delegating power to an individual is positively associated with the psychological empowerment of that individual.…”

“…They also feel empowered when they believe they are competent and make a difference. In earlier works empowerment was conceptualized as a leader behavior that was similar to delegation (e.g., Locke and Schweiger, 1979; Miller and Monge, 1986; Cotton, 1988, 1993), but more recently it has been defined as a constellation of psychological states experienced by employees (e.g., Sigler and Pearson, 2000; Niehoff et al, 2001; Randolph and Kemery, 2011; Frazier and Fainshmidt, 2012; Maynard et al, 2014). Previous work has demonstrated that leadership empowering behavior and managerial empowerment practice is positively related to psychological empowerment (Dewettinck and van Ameijde, 2011; Randolph and Kemery, 2011).…”