Psychological Empowerment, and Job Engagement: The Mediating Effect of Job Satisfaction in Saudi Arabia Private Sector

Abstract

The purpose of the research is to study psychological empowerment dimensions as the independent variables (meaning, competence, self-determination, and impact) and their effects on both job satisfaction and job engagement. The research also studied the impact of job satisfaction on job engagement as a meditator variable between psychological empowerment and job engagement. We applied the study to private-sector employees in Saudi Arabia. The research sample consisted of 393 respondents, and the data were collected using an online questionnaire. Statistical procedures were applied using SPSS (means, standard deviations, correlation analysis, reliability analysis, regression Analysis of variables) and AMOS (path analysis). The results yielded a positive impact of three dimensions of psychological empowerment (meaning, self-determination, and impact) on job satisfaction, and negative impact of the competence dimension on job satisfaction. also, the result shows a positive effect of three dimensions of psychological empowerment (meaning, competence, and impact) on job engagement. The employees who have realized that there was a fit between their beliefs, values, and the needs of their role at work (i.e., meaning), exert more effort and perseverance even in difficult situations (i.e., competence), control their time, manner, and speed of performing their work (i.e., self-determination) and belief that they can make a difference in the results (i.e., impact) will feel happy and satisfied with their jobs and be more engaged into their jobs. This study also demonstrated that the meaning dimension was the strongest predictor of job satisfaction and job engagement. Human resource and OD experts must consider these critical dimensions of psychological empowerment, as they can improve worker satisfaction and commitment. These factors are crucial for enhancing organizational efficiency and ensuring long-term viability in today's dynamic labor market.