The Effects of Empowerment on Attitudes and Performance: The Role of Social Support and Empowerment Beliefs

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a randomized field experiment that tested the effects of an empowerment intervention among unit managers of a large trucking company. The intervention was designed to increase participants' beliefs in their personal control and self-efficacy with regard to key aspects of their jobs. Individuals who managed geographically dispersed profit centres were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (N = 38) or a no-treatment control group (N = 30). The intervention significantly increased perceptions of maintenance control and impact at four months after the intervention, but only for those managers who felt that their supervisors were supportive. The intervention also improved archival measures of unit performance and affected work attitudes (depending upon the level of perceived supervisory support). The data point out the key role that perceived supervisor social support plays when implementing such organizational change interventions. Copyright Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2007.

Perceived Organizational Support and Organizational Citizenship Behavior: The Case of Kuwait

“…Depending on perceived supervisory support, unit performance, archival measures and work attitudes were affected by the intervention. The results showed the importance of supervisor support during implementation of organizational change (Logan and Ganster, 2007). Mitchell (2005) explained that the effect of high performance HR practices on corporate entrepreneurship are mediated by work characteristics as POS.…”

Entrepreneurial Cognition

“…Generally, people tend to value situations they have personal control over more than situations controlled by external forces. Leaders can provide employees autonomy through empowerment (Logan and Ganster 2007;Lok et al 2005), structures with low levels of formality (O'driscoll et al 2006), participation in important decisions, and opportunities for extensive self-management (Liden and Tewksbury 1995). Autonomy can also be supported through organizational processes and structures that encourage the sharing of information, independent activities, and decision making within a team setting (Blanchard et al 1995).…”

Precursors and Outcomes of Organizational Cutltre in Higher Education: A Theoretical Perspective.

“…A number of scholars have adopted more rational approaches and tried to explain the functioning of universities and colleges interpreting the structure and nature through analyzing the impact of disciplines on attitudes, values and behaviors of academics employed by these institutions, Becher (1981 [37] [39]) culture at university level..... "Is described as a values, believes and common objectives between the faculty members, managers, student and the university employees. These values and believes affect the process of the decision making at the universities to a large extent and shape personal and organizational behavior".…”

“…Values, organizational norms, guidelines, or expectations that prescribe appropriate kinds of behavior by employees in particular situations and control the behavior of organizational members towards one another (Black & Richard, 2003 [39]). Schein (2004b [40]) defines organizational culture.... "As a pattern of shared basic assumptions that was learned by a group as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, which has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way they perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems".…”

“…Empowerment develops professional growth in abilities and skills, self-efficacy and performance and decreases turnover of employers (Biron & Bamberger, 2010;Logan & Ganster, 2007;Yang & Choi, 2009[73, 74, 75] [76,77,78]). Empowered teachers encourage colleagues to improve student achievement and teacher"s leadership is become a mean of coping with change more meaningfully and successfully (Anderson, 2004[79]).…”