Empowering leadership and healthcare workers performance outcomes in times of crisis: the mediating role of safety climate

Abstract

PurposeDrawing upon the norm of reciprocity and social exchange theory, the purpose of this study is to propose and empirically test a model on the relationship between empowering leadership and employees' work-related outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this model, safety climate was theorized as an intervening mechanism between (1) empowering leadership and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and (2) empowering leadership and risk-taking behavior.Design/methodology/approachUsing a cross-sectional research design, data were gathered from a sample of 228 full-time staff working in the healthcare sector in Palestine. Data were analyzed using partial least squares-structural equation modeling to examine the proposed hypotheses.FindingsThe results show that empowering leadership is related to extra-role behaviors in a time of crisis. Furthermore, the results suggest that safety climate fully mediates the relationships between (1) empowering leadership and OCB and (2) empowering leadership and risk-taking behavior.Practical implicationsHealthcare administrators are invited to train their supervisors to foster the empowerment philosophy, especially during crisis times, and select leaders with empowering mentality. Besides, healthcare administrators are called upon to consider the critical role of maintaining a safe climate since it is related to employees' outcomes.Originality/valueIn this study, the authors contribute to leadership literature in crisis times by highlighting the critical role of leadership in sharing power and control with employees to encourage their OCB and willingness to take risks for the organization's interest. Moreover, to the researchers' best knowledge, this study is among the few studies that examine the consequences of empowering leadership in crisis times.

Empowering leadership and job satisfaction of academic staff in Palestinian universities: Implications of leader-member exchange and trust in leader

“…It was also noted in the literature that positive attributes of leaders can lead to notable positive attitudes toward the job and the organization ( Amundsen and Martinsen, 2015 ). In the same context, studies have also reported that empowering leadership is a determinant of creativity due to delegation and autonomy that is provided to employees ( Short and Rinehart, 1992 ; Wu and Short, 1996 ; Atik and Celik, 2020 ; Dahleez and Aboramadan, 2022 ). This study argues that by increasing autonomy for university teachers, they are more likely to be engaged and involved with their jobs, and use new approaches or techniques to better perform their tasks.…”

“…In this research, it is conceptualized that autonomy and competence can be promoted for teachers that can enhance their work processes and mental resources that they need ( Atik and Celik, 2020 ; Helland et al, 2020 ). In contrast, when resources are scarce and demands are high (i.e., education sector and teaching profession), negative outcomes can arise such as decreased job satisfaction, lack of motivation and engagement, burnout, and work-life conflict (e.g., Aboramadan, 2020 ; Dahleez and Aboramadan, 2022 ; Khawand and Zargar, 2022 ). The role of appropriate leadership (e.g., empowering, responsible, and ethical) is highly influential in improving work environment for employees considering the limitations that the organization face (i.e., during and after the pandemic), and available resources (e.g., economic, risk management and policy and change management).…”

“…It is argued in this study that EL can implement high-quality interactions as it emphasizes on empowerment, support, and provision of necessary means (physical or mental support) for teachers in universities. As SET and JD-R models are linked to this context, empowering leaders can foster positivity, trust, and effectiveness in the workplace with a focus on employees’ wellbeing, which, in turn, can enhance their job satisfaction ( Martono et al, 2020 ; Dahleez and Aboramadan, 2022 ).…”

The effect of high-performance work systems on risk-taking and organizational citizenship behaviors: the mediating role of perceived safety climate

“…Accordingly, it can be argued that employees working under the umbrella of an effective HPWS tend to develop positive perceptions of the safety climate at their organization. As such organizations are perceived to be supportive and committed to safety (Dahleez et al, 2022;Aboramadan and Dahleez, 2022;Huang et al, 2016), employees are expected to show outstanding levels of trust and confidence (Kath et al, 2010), and thus feel safe, which would ultimately lead them to exhibit positive behaviors such as risk-taking behavior and OCB. Based on the above, the following two hypotheses are posited: H3.…”

Exploitative leadership and constructive voice: the role of employee adaptive personality and organizational identification

“…According to the findings, 79.3 million US workers are affected by some form of workplace bullying, with leaders being the most frequent perpetrators (in 65% of bullying instances; WBI, 2021). Research on the topic of leadership has long discussed and examined the influence leaders have on their followers (Dahleez et al. , 2022; Fuller et al.…”