Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate how work environment and psychological empowerment related to worker outcomes
in public child welfare. These relationships were examined by testing a conceptual model in which psychological empowerment
mediated the relationships between work environment variables (quality of supervision and role ambiguity) and worker outcome
variables (emotional exhaustion and intentions to remain employed in child welfare). Responses from 234 public child welfare
front-line workers in a southeastern state were used to test the proposed mediating model. The results of the study revealed
that quality of supervision and psychological empowerment were directly related to workers’ intentions to remain employed
in child welfare. An indirect relationship between quality of supervision and intentions to remain through the mediating variable
of psychological empowerment was found. Quality of supervision was also indirectly related to worker emotional exhaustion
through the mediating variable of psychological empowerment. While the work environment variable role ambiguity was not directly
related to the outcomes emotional exhaustion or intentions to remain, indirect relationships through the mediating variable
of psychological empowerment were found.
in public child welfare. These relationships were examined by testing a conceptual model in which psychological empowerment
mediated the relationships between work environment variables (quality of supervision and role ambiguity) and worker outcome
variables (emotional exhaustion and intentions to remain employed in child welfare). Responses from 234 public child welfare
front-line workers in a southeastern state were used to test the proposed mediating model. The results of the study revealed
that quality of supervision and psychological empowerment were directly related to workers’ intentions to remain employed
in child welfare. An indirect relationship between quality of supervision and intentions to remain through the mediating variable
of psychological empowerment was found. Quality of supervision was also indirectly related to worker emotional exhaustion
through the mediating variable of psychological empowerment. While the work environment variable role ambiguity was not directly
related to the outcomes emotional exhaustion or intentions to remain, indirect relationships through the mediating variable
of psychological empowerment were found.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-19
- DOI 10.1007/s10566-011-9145-7
- Authors
- Joohee Lee, School of Social Work, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive #5114, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001, USA
- Cynthia Weaver, School of Social Work, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive #5114, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001, USA
- Susan Hrostowski, School of Social Work, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive #5114, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001, USA
- Journal Child and Youth Care Forum
- Online ISSN 1573-3319
- Print ISSN 1053-1890