Individual Differences in Psychological Empowerment: A Study of Banking Sector Employees

Abstract

Employee psychological empowerment is acknowledged as critical for organizational effectiveness, yet little research attention has been given to individual differences variables that may enhance or inhibit psychological empowerment. Likewise, although theoretical arguments about the effects of intrinsic motivation and emotional competence on psychological empowerment have been made in the literature, no research seems to have investigated this assumption. This study examines the influence of employees’ intrinsic motivation and emotional competence on their psychological empowerment. Data were obtained from 241 employees in ten banks located in southwestern, Nigeria using a questionnaire. Results reveal that intrinsic motivation (β = .31) and emotional competence (β = .24) are significant independent predictors of psychological empowerment. Further analysis using the 2 x 2 ANOVA show that intrinsic motivation and emotional competence have significant interaction effects on psychological empowerment F (1. 237) = 4.799; P < 0.05. The practical intervention implications of the findings and direction for further research are discussed in the concluding part of the study.