Managerial Use of Power Bases in a Model of Managerial Empowerment Practices and Employee Psychological Empowerment

This paper explores the potentially central role that managers play in a model of empowerment. Issues of organizational goal accomplishment and employee trust often plague application of empowerment practices, and managers likely play a vital role in the successful implementation of empowerment. In this study, managerial use of power bases (reward, expert, referent, legitimate, coercive) was proposed to impact the relationship between managerial empowerment practices and employee psychological empowerment. We found a positive relationship between empowerment practices and psychological empowerment. Managerial use of power bases (as perceived by subordinates) was related to empowerment practices and psychological empowerment. Finally, managerial use of power bases fully mediated the relationship between managerial empowerment practices and employee psychological empowerment. We call for further research into the managerial use of power bases in developing a more complete model of empowerment.