Workplace Empowerment Research Articles

Social workers’ support of the status quo: Results from a national survey

Summary Social work has an intimate and complex relationship with the systems that shape the social, political, economic, and environmental fabric of the United States. System justification theory helps explain why people are motivated to accept the status quo of systems and unequal social arrangements. This study examined the system-justifying beliefs of a national sample ( N = 516) of master’s-level social workers to better understand how beliefs about the status quo may shape job outcomes (e.g., burnout and satisfaction) and practice outcomes (e.g., goals, motivations, perceptions of clients, and endorsement of practice behaviors). Findings Ordinary least squares regression analyses adjusting for demographic characteristics indicated significant relationships with both practice outcomes and job outcomes. Higher system-justifying beliefs were associated with less social justice motivation, more practical motivation, less transformative practice goals, and less understanding of clients’ needs as symptoms of structural failures. However, higher system-justifying beliefs were also associated with more compassion satisfaction, less secondary trauma, and less emotional exhaustion. Applications Key interventions into the structural conditions of social work practice so that social workers rely less on system-justifying beliefs to cope with burnout and increase satisfaction are discussed. Examples include investments in support resources, workplace empowerment, increased discretion, and workload reduction. Cognitive and psychological interventions, specifically the development of critical consciousness and critical thinking, are also suggested.

Institutional and Socio-Cultural Factors that Influence the Wellbeing of Women Working in Academia in Arab Countries: A Scoping Review

Academic life in the present era is subject to several occupational stressors, including increased workloads, reduced research funding, tenuous career paths, and family-work conflicts. Such stressors affect academics’ quality of life, wellbeing, and job satisfaction, and women are particularly vulnerable. There is, however, a dearth of information on such issues in the Arab World. We conducted a scoping review to map the current body of knowledge related to the institutional and socio-cultural factors that influence the wellbeing status of women working in academia in Arab countries. Fourteen articles were included. Several challenges threatening women’s wellbeing in academia were identified including institutional factors (i.e., human resource policies and laws, workplace empowerment, and academic mentoring) and socio-cultural factors (i.e., work-life balance, culture and religion). Current human resources, policies, and labor laws do not adequately support maternal or complex family roles contributing to work-life imbalances and contribute to poor mental health outcomes for academic women working in academia in Arab countries. Although some of these challenges may stem from lingering cultural stereotypes about gender roles, this review highlights the need for professional development and mentoring programs for academic women in Arab countries, in addition to supportive institutional laws, policies, and resources for empowerment of women in academia.

The Role of Organizational Learning Culture and Workplace Empowerment in Improving Workplace Spirituality through Knowledge Sharing Behavior as a Mediation Variable

This research aims to find the role of Organizational Learning Culture and Workplace Empowerment on Workplace Spirituality through Knowledge Sharing Behavior as a mediating variable in PT. Sidomuncul herbal medicine industry, Semarang Regency. This research is quantitative research using the Partial Least Square SEM PLS application tool, carried out to test hypotheses with the aim of strengthening the hypothesis or rejecting theories or hypotheses from existing research results. the population was permanent employees at PT. Sidomuncul herbal medicine industry, Semarang Regency. The Human Capital Technology Division and Market Capability Division were deemed suitable for the Knowledge Sharing Behavior variable, totaling 255 people consisting of 200 male employees and 55 female employees. The sampling technique used in this research is census with the aim of the total population being used to determine the sample size, the research used a census technique of 255 respondents. The results of this research prove that Knowledge Sharing Behavior has a positive and significant effect on Workplace Empowerment, Knowledge Sharing Behavior has a positive and significant effect on Workplace Spirituality, that Organizational Learning Culture has a positive and significant effect on Knowledge Sharing Behavior, that Organizational Learning Culture has a positive and significant effect on Workplace Spirituality, Knowledge Sharing Behavior can greatly mediate the influence of Organizational Learning Culture on Workplace Empowerment.

A Mixed-Methods Cohort Study Evaluating the Impact of a One-Day Well-Being Course for Anesthesia Providers Working in Low-Resource Settings.

Burnout, depression, and anxiety are increasingly recognized as common among health care providers. Risks for these conditions are exacerbated in low-resource settings by excessive workload, high disease burden, resource shortage, and stigma against mental health issues. Based on discussions and requests to learn more about burnout during the Vital Anaesthesia Simulation Training (VAST), our team developed VAST Wellbeing, a 1-day course for health care providers in low-resource settings to recognize and mitigate burnout and to promote personal and professional well-being. This mixed-methods study used quantitative pre- and postcourse surveys using validated mental health measures and qualitative semistructured interviews to explore participants' experience of VAST Wellbeing during and after the course. Quantitative outcomes included burnout and professional fulfillment as measured by the Professional Fulfillment Index and general well-being as measured by the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale. Twenty-six participants from 9 countries completed the study. In the immediate postcourse survey, study participants rated the course overall as "very good" (60.7%) and "excellent" (28.6%). Quantitative analysis showed no statistical differences in levels of work exhaustion, interpersonal disengagement, burnout, professional fulfillment, or general mental well-being 2 months after the course. Five themes on the impact of VAST Wellbeing were identified during qualitative analysis: (1) raising awareness, breaking taboos; (2) not feeling alone; (3) permission and capacity for personal well-being; (4) workplace empowerment; and (5) VAST Wellbeing was relevant, authentic, and needed. Causes of burnout are complex and multidimensional. VAST Wellbeing did not change measures of burnout and fulfillment 2 months postcourse but did have a meaningful impact by raising awareness, reducing stigma, fostering connection, providing skills to prioritize personal well-being, and empowering people to seek workplace change.

Exploring the Role of Workplace Empowerment on Organizational Commitment of University Female Teaching Staff: Evidence from One Private University in Cambodia

This study was designed to explore the role of workplace empowerment on the organizational commitment of female teaching staff in the university by using the qualitative survey method. The sample of the study was selected by using a purposive sampling technique and it comprised of 10 female university teachers. Two interview protocols, one each for workplace empowerment and organizational commitment were used to collect the data and thematic analysis was applied to analyze the participants’ interview transcripts. The results of the present study assist the prior research that workplace empowerment is the main contributor of organizational commitment. The results showed that teachers have a very little level of workplace empowerment as a result they were committed to a personal level of interest rather than that of organizational support. The study suggested that institutions should create an environment to enhance the perceptions of empowerment among employees that will positively influence them and it will eventually increase the institution's effectiveness and commitment.

Workplace Empowerment and Librarianship: A Perception of Female Employees in Pakistan

Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the perception of female employees regarding workplace empowerment. The study also emphasized the alleged advantages of employee empowerment in the workplace and pinpointed the barriers to empowerment. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on qualitative data collected, through the semi-structured interview with female library professionals working in the higher education commission’s recognized universities of Punjab- Pakistan, as a part of doctoral studies. Findings According to the study, respondents most frequently defined “workplace empowerment” as having the freedom to do duties as they see fit. They also emphasized the benefits of workplace empowerment on both the personal and professional levels. Three categories—managerial, organizational, and individual factors—are used to categorize the obstacles cited by the participants. Originality Although there is no study of this kind on the topic of workplace empowerment of female employees in the local context of Pakistan, this work adds significantly to the paucity of literature on the subject. Research limitations This study is extracted from the Ph.D. thesis of the researcher. This study is limited in terms of its population as the data was collected from female library professionals in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Practical/managerial implications and/or social/economic implications The results may aid stakeholders and higher authorities in eradicating workplace empowerment concerns and in formulating evidence-based strategies or policies to enable women to execute their jobs more effectively. This qualitative study adds value to the literature by showing the actual situation of female employee empowerment in a developing country like Pakistan.

Pathways to organizational commitment: Workplace empowerment and engagement among Spanish social workers

This study examined the relationship between structural empowerment and affective commitment, mediated by work engagement, in frontline social workers in Spain. Based on two samples (240 participants from public agencies and 226 participants from private agencies) and using linear regression models (bootstrapping method), our results showed two effects in the relationship between structural empowerment and organizational commitment: a direct effect fostering experiences of power and an indirect effect by increasing engagement at work. Empowering human resources management (HRM) practices (access to opportunities, information, resources, and support) is a useful tool for managers and administrators, with strong benefits for both social workers and agencies.

Research on the Problems and Strategies of Delegation Management in a Cross-Cultural Context The Case of the University of Sydney

This paper focuses on the decision of a manager or supervisor to delegate a task or responsibility to one or more employees as delegation, or DOA for short; It also focuses on the influence of globalization on the workplace empowerment system and proposes that a mixed cultural environment, the authority of leaders is not only based on actual ability but also on subjective cognitive decision-making. Globalization has made technological skills available to the international market, and governments and non-profit organizations need to establish cross-cultural empowerment systems to promote the growth of different groups. In this context, implementing mandates faces multiple obstacles, such as discrimination and stereotypes based on gender, race, and ethnicity. The impact of discrimination will be examined by data from the Pew Research Centers 2019 Race in America report. This article will compare real-world case studies to weigh the pros and cons of cross-cultural empowerment. Second, make recommendations based on generally accepted views of cultural influence and individual agency. In addition, this paper also discusses the characteristics of the situational leadership model, the third culture, and Hofstedes cultural dimension theory as its foundation. In this papers case study of China Europe International Business School in Shanghai, a significant conflict between different cultures occurred. Based on the situational leadership model, the third culture, and Hofstedes theory of cultural dimensions, to solve the problems of distrust and language barriers in communication, using a third language can effectively alleviate possible conflicts.

Vicarious Empowerment as a Novel Mechanism for Empowering High Power Distance Employees

Prior research has questioned the utility of empowerment for high power distance employees. Rather than abandon empowerment in these contexts, we test the plausibility of empowering high power distance employees vicariously through observation, normalization and legitimization of empowered behavior. Extending theories of empowerment and social cognition to account for cultural norms, we provide evidence for the effectiveness of vicarious empowerment among those with high power distance. From a sample of 3,383 employees in 10 companies across six countries, we find a positive association between vicarious empowerment and subjective unit performance, that this relationship is mediated by empowerment climate, and that the indirect effect is moderated by power distance orientation. These relationships contrast with prior research which examines more traditional forms of empowerment across cultures. We explain how our findings inform theory on cross-cultural organizational psychology and workplace empowerment.

Workplace Empowerment, Quality of Work-Life and Employee Commitment: A Study on a Distributor Company in Quezon Province

Workplace Empowerment, Quality of Work-Life and Employee Commitment: A Study on a Distributor Company in Quezon Province

Empowering vs empowered: factors shaping women’s workplace empowerment in the Qatari public sector

PurposeDespite several policies in the Arab Gulf States aimed at promoting women’s empowerment through employment, women’s career progress has not met the expected gains. Workplace empowerment is a critical aspect of women’s economic empowerment. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the factors that contribute to workplace empowerment for women in the Qatari public sector.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses a mixed-methods approach to explore workplace empowerment among female civil servants in the State of Qatar. The study combines surveys (N = 310) and interviews (N = 30) and uses an inductive thematic approach that considers women’s narratives as the primary source of knowledge construction.FindingsThe authors’ findings strongly suggest that perception-related factors have a more significant impact on workplace empowerment than structural ones. The results indicate that feelings of disempowerment are influenced by perceptions of gender-based discrimination, poor relationships with supervisors and dissatisfaction with work–life balance. Women feel empowered when they have access to decision-making opportunities and perceive that their workplace supports their professional growth and advancement.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough this paper focuses solely on women’s perceptions, additional research is necessary to compare the experiences of both men and women regarding workplace empowerment. While individual and organizational factors were examined in this paper, future studies should also consider societal factors. The results highlight the importance of equal and supportive organizational practices and cultures to foster empowerment among women in the workplace, providing valuable insights for policymakers.Originality/valueThis paper addresses a critical research gap on the intersection of gender, work and management in the Middle East. It responds to the need for more diverse contextual research on Arab women’s work experiences and provides methodological diversity by using an exploratory, mixed-methods design with a grounded approach. The study highlights the interaction between structural and psychological factors, emphasizing the gap between policies and resources and women’s lived experiences and perceptions of workplace empowerment.

Workplace Empowerment, Job Satisfaction, and Teaching Performance of Public Senior High School Teachers’ in City Schools Division in the Province of Laguna

Teachers’ empowerment is one of the most effective ways to enhance teachers’ commitment (Muhammad & Hussain, 2020). They have a very high level of workplace empowerment along impact which shows that teachers believe that they affect and influence school life positively. The goal of this study was to explore the level of teachers’ workplace empowerment, job satisfaction, and teaching performance, probe the relationship between the teachers’ level of workplace empowerment and level of job satisfaction, workplace empowerment and teaching performance, and level of job satisfaction and teaching performance, and examined the predictive ability of the level of workplace empowerment, and job satisfaction, taken singly or in combination, of level of teaching performance of senior high school teachers’ in the City Schools Division in the Province of Laguna. The findings revealed that the teachers’ level of workplace empowerment was “highly empowered”, while the teachers’ level of job satisfaction was “very satisfactory”. On the other hand, the teachers’ level of teaching performance was “outstanding”. In addition, the teachers’ level of teaching performance was significant to meaning, benefits, and professional growth with a p-value of 0.023, 0.028, and 0.002, respectively. It was concluded in the study that teacher’s workplace empowerment only meaning was correlated to teachers’ level of teaching performance. While in terms of job satisfaction, benefits and professional growth was correlated to teachers’ level of teaching performance. It implied that these predictors were highly contributors to the teachers of teaching performance. This study is believed to be a beneficial reference in developing a more empowered workplace, highly pleased teaching forces with the finest teaching performances.

Relationship between workplace structural empowerment and spirit of nurses at work in selected hospitals in Cairo

Background Structural empowerment is the presence of social structures in the workplace that enable employees to accomplish their work in meaningful ways. Aim The study aimed to determine the relationship between workplace structural empowerment and spirit of nurses at work in selected hospitals in Cairo. Design A descriptive correlational design was used. Setting The study was conducted at five hospitals representing different health care sectors. Sample A convenient sample of 470 consenting staff nurses was included in the study. Tools Two data collection tools were used: the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire II tool and the Spirit at Work Measurement Scale. Results The findings revealed that nurses in the selected hospitals in Cairo had moderate access to workplace empowerment structures and a high level of spirit at work. Conclusion The result indicated a strong, positive, and statistically significant relationship between workplace empowerment and nurse’s spirit at work. Recommendations Spirit at work in health care settings is still in its embryonic stage and requires much empirical and theoretical research.

Inequalities in democratic worker-owned firms by gender, race and immigration status: evidence from the first national survey of the sector

PurposeWorker cooperative practitioners and developers often claim that democratic worker ownership advances egalitarianism within and beyond the workplace, but most of the empirical evidence in the USA is based on ethnographic case studies or small-scale surveys. This study aims to leverage the first national survey about individuals' experiences in these unique firms to test for the presence of inequalities by gender, race and immigration status in the broader sector.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a 2017 survey comprising a sample of 1,147 workers from 82 firms. This study focuses on measures of workplace benefits that capture material and psychological ownership, wealth accumulation, wages, workplace autonomy and participation in governance. This study uses ordinary least squares regression models with fixed effects alongside pooled models to determine the effects of gender, race, immigration status and the intersection of gender and race on these outcomes, both within and between firms.FindingsThis study finds no evidence of wage gaps by gender, race or immigration status within worker cooperatives, with job type, tenure and worker ownership status instead explaining within-firm variation in pay. Still, this study documents sector-wide disparities in material and non-material outcomes by gender, race and immigration status, reflecting differences in individual-level human capital and job characteristics as well as widespread occupational segregation and homophily.Originality/valueThe paper offers a novel contribution to the literature on workplace empowerment and inequality in participatory firms by analyzing race, gender and immigration status in the most robust dataset that has been collected on worker cooperatives in the USA.

Workplace empowerment and organisational commitment: a correlational study in a Saudi Arabian hospital

Background/Aims Structural empowerment of employees can increase job satisfaction and performance. This study explored the relationships between workforce empowerment and measurable levels of organisational commitment among employees in a private, tertiary-level hospital in Saudi Arabia. Methods A correlational cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered anonymous survey, which incorporated the Conditions for Work Effectiveness Questionnaire, the Three-Component Model Employee Commitment Survey and a sociodemographic survey created by the authors. The questionnaire was distributed through the hospital's website with the aim of reaching every medical and non-medical employee (n=1900). A total of 739 staff members completed the questionnaire. Analysis was performed to identify relationships between empowerment, commitment and sociodemographic characteristics. Results There was a significant positive correlation between empowerment and organisational commitment. Age and years of experience in the profession, hospital and country were positively correlated with both empowerment and commitment. Those who were Saudi Arabian citizens and/or of Arab ethnicity had lower levels of workforce empowerment than those of other ethnicities and nationalities. Conclusions Workplace empowerment can directly influence organisational commitment among medical and non-medical healthcare staff, which has implications for staff retention and satisfaction. Employers should target interventions at staff groups with lower levels of empowerment, such as younger and less experienced professionals.

Workplace empowerment and employee involvement: empowering workplace conditions

Workplace empowerment and employee involvement: empowering workplace conditions

New Graduate Nurses' Incivility Experiences: The Roles of Workplace Empowerment, Nursing Leadership and Areas of Worklife.

To determine what extent are workplace empowerment, New Graduate Nurses' (NGN) perceptions of nurse leaders, trust in management, and areas of worklife predict coworker incivility experiences? NGNs' perceptions of nursing leaderships' control over workload contribute to coworker incivility experiences were tested. The relationship between workplace empowerment, authentic leadership, and areas of work life (workload control and fair resource allocation) to coworker incivility experiences were examined. Secondary analysis of Starting Out, national survey, Time 1 dataset. Select factors of workplace empowerment, authentic leadership, areas of worklife, trust in management and NGNs' co- worker incivility experiences were situated within an ecological approach. Multiple linear regression was used to test whether a negative relationship of workplace empowerment, areas of worklife and authentic leadership to NGNs co-worker incivility experiences and important new findings were discovered. First, NGNs' perceptions of workplace empowerment predict coworker incivility experiences when controlling for authentic leadership and trust in management. Second, NGNs' perceptions of areas of worklife predict coworker incivility experiences when controlling for authentic leadership, trust in management, and workplace empowerment. Third, NGNs' perceptions of authentic leadership do not predict coworker incivility experiences when controlling for workplace empowerment and trust in management. Finally, NGNs' perceptions of authentic leadership do predict coworker incivility experiences when trust in management and workplace empowerment are not controlled. NGNs' perceptions of authentic leadership would benefit from workplace empowerment of the nurse leader in workplace environments to mitigate coworker incivility experiences.

Relationship between Workplace Empowerment and Innovative Work Behavior among Staff Nurses

Relationship between Workplace Empowerment and Innovative Work Behavior among Staff Nurses

Workplace empowerment, psychological empowerment and work-related wellbeing in southeast Asian employees: a cross-sectional survey.

There is a growing body of research examining the nature and correlates of salutogenic factors in the workplace and employee wellbeing, and the role of empowerment therewithin. A paucity of research has distinguished between structural and psychological forms of empowerment in the workplace and examined how they independently and collectively relate to employee wellbeing. Much of the existing research has examined such considerations in western samples, with limited exploration of eastern working populations. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between structural empowerment (SE) and employee self-reported work-related wellbeing (operationalized as psychological wellbeing and job satisfaction), and the postulated mediating role of psychological empowerment (PE). With a sample of 324 southeast Asian employees from a single organization, this study used a cross-sectional case study design using self-report measures to examine the relationships between SE, PE and employee job satisfaction and psychological wellbeing. PE was postulated to mediate the relationship between SE and work-related wellbeing outcomes of job satisfaction and psychological wellbeing. Mediation analyses revealed that SE was positively associated with PE which, in turn, completely mediated the positive relationships between SE, and job satisfaction and psychological wellbeing. The results of this study contribute empirically and practically in the following ways: (i) it expands upon previous research on employee empowerment, (ii) contributes to the developing field of positive occupational health psychology and (iii) highlights the crucial role of organizations in creating sources of SE and PE.

Prevalence of burnout and related factors in nursing faculty members: a systematic review.

PurposeThe current study aimed to identify the prevalence of burnout and related factors in nursing faculty members through a systematic review of the literature.MethodsA comprehensive search of electronic databases, including Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Iranmedex, and Scientific Information Database was conducted via keywords extracted from Medical Subject Headings, including burnout and nursing faculty, for studies published from database inception to April 1, 2022. The quality of the included studies in this review was assessed using the appraisal tool for cross-sectional studies.ResultsA total of 2,551 nursing faculty members were enrolled in 11 studies. The mean score of burnout in nursing faculty members based on the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was 59.28 out of 132. The burnout score in this study was presented in 3 MBI subscales: emotional exhaustion, 21.24 (standard deviation [SD]=9.70) out of 54; depersonalization, 5.88 (SD=4.20) out of 30; and personal accomplishment, 32.16 (SD=6.45) out of 48. Several factors had significant relationships with burnout in nursing faculty members, including gender, level of education, hours of work, number of classroom, students taught, full-time work, job pressure, perceived stress, subjective well-being, marital status, job satisfaction, work setting satisfaction, workplace empowerment, collegial support, management style, fulfillment of self-expectation, communication style, humor, and academic position.ConclusionOverall, the mean burnout scores in nursing faculty members were moderate. Therefore, health policymakers and managers can reduce the likelihood of burnout in nursing faculty members by using psychosocial interventions and support.