Psychological empowerment (PE) is presumed to be a second-order latent construct composed of four dimensions: meaning, competence, self-determination, and impact. Based on the results of two validation studies, it has been hypothesized that loadings of the four dimensions on PE could vary across gender groups. A multiple-group second-order confirmatory factor analysis was performed to verify if the factor structure of Spreitzer’s PE questionnaire was invariant between groups of 191 male and 200 female nurses. Results indicated that the structure of the PE questionnaire could be assumed invariant across genders. Directions for future research are discussed.
Alimo-Metcalfe, B. (1995). An investigation of female and male constructs of leadership and empowerment. Women in Management Review, 10, 3-8.
2.
Ashforth, B. E. (1989). The experience of powerlessness in organizations. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 43, 207-242.
3.
Bentler, P. M. (1995). EQS structural equations program manual. Encino, CA: Multivariate Software.
4.
Boudrias, J. S., Gobert, P., Savoie, A., & Vandenberghe, C. (2003). L’habilitation psychologique au travail: Que sait-on après une décennie de recherche? [Psychological empowerment at work: What do we know after a decade of research?]Revue Québécoise de Psychologie, 24(2), 43-73.
5.
Brief, A. P., & Nord, W. R. (1990). Meaning of occupational work. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
6.
Browne, M. W., & Cudeck, R. (1993). Alternative ways of assessing model fit. In K. A. Bollen & J. S. Long (Eds.), Testing structural equation models (pp. 445-455). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
7.
Cheung, G. W., & Rensvold, R. B. (2002). Evaluating goodness-of-fit for testing measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling, 9, 233-255.
8.
Deci, E. L., Connell, J. P., & Ryan, R. M. (1989). Self-determination in a work organization. Journal of Applied Psychology, 74, 580-590.
9.
Eylon, D., & Bamberger, P. (2000). Empowerment cognitions and empowerment acts: Recognizing the importance of gender. Group & Organization Management, 25, 354-372.
10.
Finegan, J. E., & Laschinger, H. K. S. (2001). The antecedents and consequences of empowerment: A gender analysis. Journal of Nursing Administration, 31, 489-497.
11.
Fulford, M. D., & Enz, C. A. (1995). The impact of empowerment on service employees. Journal of Managerial Issues, 7, 161-175.
12.
Gist, M. E. (1987). Self-efficacy: Implications for organizational behaviour and human resource management. Academy of Management Review, 12, 472-485.
13.
Hu, L.-T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6, 1-55.
14.
Janssen, O., Schoonebeek, G., & van Looy, B. (1997). Cognities van empowerment als de schakel tussen delegerend leiderschap en innovatief gedrag van werknemers [Cognitions of empowerment: The link between participative management and employees’ innovative behavior]. Gedrag en Organisatie, 10, 175-194.
15.
Kanter, R. M. (1977). Men and women of the corporation. New York: Basic Books.
16.
Konczak, L., Stelly, D. J., & Trusty, M. L. (2000). Defining and measuring empowering leader behaviors: Development of an upward feedback instrument. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 60, 301-313.
17.
Kraimer, M. L., Seibert, S. E., & Liden, R. C. (1999). Psychological empowerment as a multidimensional construct: A test of construct validity. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 59, 127-142.
18.
Laschinger, H. K. S., Finegan, J., Shamian, J., & Wilk, P. (2001). Impact of structural and psychological empowerment on job strain in nursing work setting: Expanding Kanter’s model. Journal of Nursing Administration, 31, 260-272.
19.
Lawler, E. E. (1986). High-involvement management. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
20.
Liden, R. C., Wayne, S. J., & Sparrowe, R. T. (2000). An examination of the mediating role of psychological empowerment on the relations between the job, interpersonal relationships, and work outcomes. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85, 407-416.
21.
Lips, H. M. (1985). Gender and the sense of power: Where are we and where are we going?International Journal of Women’s Studies, 8, 483-489.
22.
Marsh, H. W. (1987). The hierarchical structure of self-concept and the application of hierarchical confirmatory factor analysis. Journal of Educational Measurement, 24, 17-39.
23.
Menon, S. T. (2001). Employee empowerment: An integrative psychological approach. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 50, 153-180.
24.
Riger, S. (1993). What’s wrong with empowerment. American Journal of Community Psychology, 21, 279-292.
25.
Spreitzer, G. M. (1995). Psychological empowerment in the workplace: Dimensions, measurement, and validation. Academy of Management Journal, 38, 1442-1465.
26.
Thomas, K. W., & Velthouse, B. A. (1990). Cognitive elements of empowerment: An “interpretive” model of intrinsic task motivation. Academy of Management Review, 15, 666-681.
27.
Vandenberg, R. J., & Lance, C. E. (2000). A review and synthesis of the measurement invariance literature: Suggestions, practices, and recommendations for organizational research. Organizational Research Methods, 3, 4-69.
28.
West, S. G., Finch, J. F., & Curran, P. J. (1995). Structural equation models with nonnormal variables. In R. H. Hoyle (Ed.), Structural equation modeling: Concepts, issues, and applications (pp. 56-75). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
29.
Yoder, J. D., & Kahn, A. S. (1992). Toward a feminist understanding of women and power. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 16, 381-388.
