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. Lay Summary In this study, we explore two forms of empowerment at work and investigate their relationship with employee wellbeing. Workplace empowerment (WE) comes from organizational structures, policies and practices that ensure power and resources are shared across employees, and, in turn, facilitate their accomplishment and development at work. Psychological empowerment (PE) derives from the meaning, competence, perceived control and influence employees feel they have at work and on work outcomes. Limited research has investigated whether WE and PE interact with each other, and whether this, in turn, relates to employees' motivation, health and wellbeing. This is the aim of this study. We collected data from 334 employees in a large organization in southeast Asia using an online survey. Both WE and PE were observed to be important factors in relationship to employees' satisfaction at work and psychological wellbeing. We found the relationship between WE and employees' self-reported job satisfaction and psychological wellbeing was facilitated through their PE. This study contributes to the small, but growing, body of literature examining empowerment in the workplace. Our findings highlight the importance of workplace health promotion initiatives to ensure employee empowerment is cultivated both within individuals and their work environments.