Empowering satisfaction: analyzing the relationship between empowerment, work conditions, and job satisfaction for international center managers

The rising cost of higher education has driven researchers and practitioners alike to identify areas of waste and search for practices associated with increasing efficiency. One area commonly targeted is human resources, where the dominant narrative focuses on the role of downsizing as a way to decrease cost. In contrast to workforce reduction, institutions could reduce inefficiencies by finding effective ways to avoid premature departure and strengthen the current workforce in higher education. In this study, we analyze employees’ perception of their work conditions and sense of empowerment, in relation to job satisfaction, which has been found to increase productivity and reduce turnover. To illustrate and model key variables, we utilize structural equation modeling to analyze the relationship between our key latent constructs. We find empowerment is positively related to job satisfaction, while working conditions are not.