Putting the Power Back Into Empowerment

220 Pages·2013·1.41 MB·English

by  Beth Polin

Putting the Power Back Into Empowerment:
Construct Clarification and the Incorporation of Trust

DISSERTATION

Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy
in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University

By
Beth Marie Polin, B.A.
Graduate Program in Labor and Human Resources

The Ohio State University
2013

Dissertation Committee:
Howard J. Klein, Advisor
Roy J. Lewicki
Robert B. Lount, Jr.
Copyrighted by
Beth Marie Polin
2013
Abstract

Organizations that have an empowered workforce contain employees who may
claim higher job satisfaction, higher organizational commitment, lower turnover
intention, and better job performance, among other desirable outcomes. But to best
achieve such attitudes and behaviors, it is critical that a clear conceptualization and
operationalization of the empowered state and the empowerment process exist.
This dissertation has two objectives. First, a clarified and more accurate
definition of the empowered state is presented. Despite the ubiquitousness of
empowerment, no clear conceptualization and thus operationalization exist for the
construct. Keeping in mind its power roots and its multidimensional nature, the
empowered state is defined as a psychological state reflecting autonomy, control, and
accountability. By labeling this the empowered state instead of empowerment, the
internal state of the employee can be better differentiated from the empowerment process.
The second objective of this dissertation, then, is to present and verify such a model of
the empowerment process, which includes actors and forces in the employee’s external
environment. This model identifies the factors impacting the degree to which an
employee experiences an empowered state, outcomes of the empowered state, and other
mediating variables. The role of trust between a manager and an employee in the
ii
empowerment process—a relationship not yet studied in an empowerment context—is
also examined.
To test hypotheses concerning the empowered state and the empowerment
process, data was gathered from part-time/working graduate students and their managers.
A total of 108 manager-employee pairs were collected. Factor analysis, regression
analyses, and indirect effects models were used in the data analysis process. Results
partially support the proposed clarified definition of the empowered state. The suggested
antecedents of access to information and resources and core self-evaluation show
significant relationships with the empowered state. Mixed results emerge for
competence, meaningfulness, and goal internalization being mediators of the relationship
between antecedents and the empowered state. Both an employee’s trust judgments
about their manager and a manager’s trust judgments about their employee are found to
play a role in the empowerment process. Finally, a number of outcome variables are
supported in the model. After findings are discussed, strengths and weaknesses of the
study are offered, implications are proposed, and future research needs are identified.

iii
This dissertation is dedicated to my parents,
who taught me the importance of a meaningful education and then offered years of
guidance, love, and support while I achieved such an education.

iv
Acknowledgements

My dissertation committee deserves my deepest thanks for their commitment, not
only to the progress and ultimate completion of this dissertation, but also to my
professional development throughout my time in my doctorate program. My advisor, Dr.
Howard Klein, helped me give life to a single-page idea that grew into a study that has
and will continue to capture my interest and attention. His patience and faith in me have
not gone unnoticed or unappreciated. Dr. Roy Lewicki has always provided a
dependable foundation of true mentorship. He never fell short of providing the guidance
and encouragement that I often needed. Dr. Robert Lount has proven to be one of my
greatest role models. As I hope to soon be gaining the status of assistant professor, I
know from him that hard work and dedication will prepare a young professor for a
promising career. In recognition of my entire dissertation committee, I hope to emulate
their academic support and inspiration and pay them forward in my career.
I would also like to thank those professors who assisted in the data collection for
this dissertation and granted me time to recruit participants for the survey. In addition, I
extend my gratitude to Willie Stromeyer who kindly served as a statistical reference as I
analyzed my data.
Finally, I would like to recognize my fellow PhD candidates, namely Ali
Dachner, Brian Saxton, BiJuan Zhong, and Chirs Sutter, who engaged in stimulating
v
discussions about many ideas in this dissertation. They have been faithful companions
throughout our doctorate program, and I look forward to being lifelong colleagues and
friends with them.

vi
Vita

May 2004 Reitz Memorial High School
May 2008 B.A. Economics, DePauw University
September 2008 to present Graduate Research and Teaching Associate,
Department of Management and Human
Resources, The Ohio State University

Publications
Lewicki, R.J. & Polin, B. (forthcoming). Principled negotiation. In E.H. Kessler (Ed.),
Encyclopedia of Management Theory. Sage.
Lewicki, R.J. & Polin, B. (forthcoming). The role of trust in negotiation processes. In
R. Bachman & A. Zaheer (Eds.), Handbook of Advances in Trust Research. Edward
Elger.
Lewicki, R.J. & Polin, B. (forthcoming). Trust in negotiation. In M. Olekalns & W.L.
Adair (Eds.), Handbook of Research in Negotiation. Edward Edgar Publishing, UK.
Klein, H.J. & Polin, B. (2012). Are organizations onboard with best practices
onboarding? In C.R. Wanberg (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Organizational
Socialization (pp. 267-287). New York: Oxford University Press.
vii
Lewicki, R.J. & Polin, B. (2012). The art of the apology: The structure and effectiveness
of apologies in trust repair. In R.M. Kramer & T.L. Pittinsky (Eds.), Restoring Trust
in Organizations and Leaders: Enduring Challenges and Emerging Answers (pp. 95-
128). New York: Oxford University Press.

Fields of Study
Major Field: Labor and Human Resources
Minor Fields: Quantitative Psychology, Social Psychology

viii
Table of Contents

Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii
Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iv
Acknowledgements ..............................................................................................................v
Vita .................................................................................................................................... vii
Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... ix
List of Tables xiv
List of Figures xvii
Chapter 1: The Need for Clarification in Empowerment Research 1
The Empowered State 3
The Empowerment Process 5
Overview 8
Chapter 2: A Review of Research Relating to Empowerment 11
A Brief History of Empowerment 11
Different Approaches to Defining Empowerment 12
The Power Approach 13
The Participative Management Approach 15
The Multidimensional Approach 18
Lack of an Empowerment Definition 20
Summary 20
Variables Surrounding Empowerment 21
Antecedents to Empowerment 22
Participative Management 22
Contextual Antecedents 27
Individual Characteristics 30
ix