Using data from the 2019 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) and FedScope administered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), this study explores the relationship between gender, employee empowerment, and organizational performance in the public sector, with a focus on how this relationship is affected by women’s representation in leadership. The results show that women experience higher levels of psychological empowerment than men, which has a positive impact on organizational performance. However, in organizations with lower representation of women in leadership roles, while women continue to experience higher psychological empowerment, they report lower levels of managerial empowerment than men, which is associated with reduced organizational performance. This research underscores the importance of promoting representative bureaucracies in public organizations to increase diversity, support democratic governance, and contribute to more equitable and inclusive societies.
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