Abstract

This study aims to test the relationship between perceived empowering leadership behavior and the work engagement. Also, the mediating role of psychological empowerment in this relation has been examined. The study applied on a sample of 360 employees at the Egyptian cement industry in Upper Egypt. Data was collected using work engagement questionnaire based on the Schaufeli, Salanova, González-Romá, and Bakker (2002) scale. The current study used the scale of the Zhang & Bartol study (2010), prepared by Ahearne et al., (2005) to measure the empowering leadership behaviors. Psychological empowerment has been measured using Spreitzer (1995) and Zhung and Bartol (2010).

The study was conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) program in data processing for AMOS to test the quality of compatibility between the collected data and the theoretical data, and the structural model to test the study hypotheses.

The results did not support the direct relationship between leadership empowered behavior and work engagement. The empowering leadership behavior is positively affecting the psychological empowerment. Psychological empowerment was found to be positively affecting work engagement. However, the psychological empowerment was found to be mediating the relationship between the two variables. The study reached some conclusions related to this relationship and how to have it enhanced in the Cement industry in Upper Egypt.

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