Antecedents and Outcomes of Empowerment: Empirical Evidence from the Health Care Industry

Using a statistical model, this study examined the correlates and consequences of psychological empowerment among a group of 612 technically skilled, professional, and managerial hospital employees (129 men and 483 women). Whereas individual as well as group and organizational characteristics influenced feelings of empowerment, group and organizational variables accounted for more variance in empowerment than did the individual variables. Empowerment perceptions increased with organizational rank and with leader approachability, group effectiveness, and worth of group. Individuals with more tenure in the organization felt more empowered; however, men and women, and Whites and non-Whites reported no significant differences in feelings of empowerment. Empowerment perceptions also were associated with increased job satisfaction and work productivity/effectiveness, as well as a decreased propensity to leave the organization.