THE INFLUENCE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL EMPOWERMENT ON WORK ENGAGEMENT AMONG EMPLOYEES

Abstract This study examines the relationship between psychological empowerment and work engagement among employees, considering socio-economic variables such as gender and age. A sample of 210 individuals, comprising 108 males (51.4%) and 102 females (48.6%), was analyzed. The findings reveal a strong positive correlation (r = 0.713, p < 0.01) between psychological empowerment and work engagement, indicating that higher empowerment is associated with greater engagement. Gender-based analysis shows a borderline significant difference in psychological empowerment (p = 0.050), with females reporting slightly higher empowerment than males. However, work engagement does not significantly differ between genders (p = 0.111). Age group comparisons using one-way ANOVA suggest no statistically significant differences in psychological empowerment (p = 0.164) or work engagement (p = 0.392), despite slight variations in mean scores. Overall, the study highlights the crucial role of psychological empowerment in enhancing work engagement, while gender and age differences appear to be minimal in this context. Key word: Psychological empowerment, Socio-economic variables, Gender-based analysis, Work engagement.