Employee empowerment, work engagement and job performance among support staff of Makerere University

Abstract

This research examined the relationship between employee empowerment, work engagement and job performance among support staff of Makerere University guided by four key objectives and hypotheses. A quantitative approach involving cross-sectional research design was used on a sample of 265 respondents as determined by Krejice and Morgan’s table for sample size. Convenience sampling was used as a way of choosing participant to participate in the research study. Data collection was done using already developed standardized questionnaires and whose reliability was determined using chronbach’s alpha test. Statistical package for social scientists (SPSSV23) was used for analyzing both descriptive and inferential data. Pearson’s correlation was used for hypotheses testing where findings revealed that employee empowerment is not significantly related to work engagement at (r= -.009, p > .05), work engagement is significantly related to job performance (r = .39, p ≤ .01) and employee empowerment is not significantly related to job performance at (r= -.03, p > 0.05). A mediation analysis using linear regression analysis also revealed that work engagement does not mediate the relationship between employee empowerment and job performance, there was no relationship between employee empowerment and work engagement t= -.14, p > 0.05, no relationship between employee empowerment and job performance t= -.51, p > 0.05. The results implied that encouraging employee empowerment initiatives wouldn’t increase work engagement and job performance therefore Organizations should consider integrating and adopting other policies that encourage work engagement.