THE MEDIATING INFLUENCE OF ORGANIZATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONAL TYPE AND RELATIONAL POWER: AN EXTENSION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL EMPOWERMENT RESEARCH

摘要

Processes of psychological empowerment for members of community-based organizations may be strongly influenced by organizational factors. Using survey data from a random sample of urban residents (n5974), the present study examines how individual perceptions of empowering features of organizations (group-based belief system, role opportunity, leadership, and social support) and sense of community relate to participants’ psychological empowerment. Relational power, a hypothesized component of interactional empowerment, is examined as the dependent variable. Structural equation modeling highlights a mediating relationship in the development of an understanding of relational power. The study extends prior research on the predictors of psychological empowerment and discusses the relationship between the development of individual member and organizational empowerment. By determining specific features of organizations that are associated with member empowerment, community psychology may be able to better aid organizations in building capacity to enact transformational community change.