Structural empowerment among frontline nurses in Hong Kong: A study on the moderating and mediating effect of self-esteem

Abstract

This study examined Kanter’s theory of structural empowerment by exploring the moderating and mediating effect of self-esteem. Participants were frontline nurses (N = 556) of an acute hospital in Hong Kong. Results of the study indicated that structural empowerment was associated with job satisfaction only among nurses with high self-esteem. It was beneficial to positive well-being of nurses with moderate self-esteem but was detrimental to positive well-being among nurses who were low in self-esteem. The impact of only one of the components of structural empowerment (i.e., access to opportunity) was mediated by self-esteem. Self-esteem played a more important role in moderating than in mediating the effects of structural empowerment. The overall findings suggested that to facilitate positive outcomes, personality factors should be considered in the implementation of structural empowerment. Results of this study were discussed with reference to the three different motivational patterns of self-esteem, viz., self-derogation, self-protection, and self-acquisition.