Empowered work groups: Conceptual framework and empirical assessment of empowerment processes and outcomes in organizations

This paper proposes a conceptual model of work group empowerment and describes a study that was designed to evaluate the model. The conceptual model specifies directional relations among the antecedents, dimensions, and outcomes of empowered work groups. The model hypothesized that the effects of empowering organizational practices on work-related outcomes are mediated by the dimensions of empowerment. A survey questionnaire was developed and administered to employees of two organizations. Structural equations modeling was used to assess the fit of the model. Generally, the data supported the model's hypotheses. However, the analyses showed that the role of organizational characteristics in empowering work groups is broader and larger than the role of leader behavior. Also, the data suggested that some empowering organizational practices have direct effects on work outcomes. This paper makes some suggestions as to the organizational conditions necessary for empowering work groups.