Psychological empowerment and stress: role of personality and power distance

Abstract

Purpose The negative links between psychological empowerment (PE) and perceived stress may be arguable when evaluated in Indian work settings characterized by socio-cultural values like dependence proneness and high power distance. To explore this possibility, the present study aimed to examine the links between PE at work and perceived stress in the Indian milieu. Potential moderating effects of gender, personality (generalized self-efficacy and Big-5 traits) and power distance on this relationship were also investigated. Design/methodology/approach An experiment with 2 (high PE/low PE) × 2 (male/female) between-subjects design was used on 120 employees from four commercialized banks. PE was manipulated by presenting a work scenario to each participant, where employees experience either high or low PE. Relevant scales were used to measure perceived stress, personality and power distance. Findings PE has a significant negative relationship with perceived stress, thus validating the effectiveness of PE in Indian work settings. Emotional stability and agreeableness are established as significant moderators which enhanced the negative links between PE and perceived stress. Originality/value The current research has uniquely contributed to the limited literature regarding the role of personality in empowerment and its outcomes. Furthermore, it has captured the theoretical and practical underpinnings of the PE-perceived stress link in Indian work-context.