Unraveling the Mechanisms: Work Engagement as a Mediator between Psychological Empowerment and Innovative Work Behavior

Sahedur Rahman

doi:10.59890/ijaeam.v3i5.74

Authors

Sahedur Rahman Comilla University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59890/ijaeam.v3i5.74

Keywords:

Psychological Empowerment, Work Engagement, Innovative Work Behavior, Telecommunication Sector, Bangladesh

Abstract

This study explores the mediating role of work engagement in the relationship between psychological empowerment and innovative work behavior among employees in Bangladesh’s telecommunication sector. Drawing on the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, the research addresses a critical gap by examining how psychological empowerment as a job resource translates into innovative outcomes through the motivational pathway of work engagement. Data were collected from a sample of 325 employees using convenience sampling, and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyze the hypothesized relationships. The results reveal that psychological empowerment significantly predicts both work engagement and innovative work behavior, and that work engagement mediates this relationship significantly. These findings underscore the importance of fostering empowerment and engagement to enhance innovation in dynamic, technology-intensive industries. The study extends the applicability of the JD-R model to a non-Western, emerging market context, offering new empirical evidence from Bangladesh’s telecommunication sector. Furthermore, it provides actionable insights for organizational leaders and policymakers, advocating for targeted HR strategies that cultivate both empowerment and engagement to sustain innovative capacity. The research contributes to the broader literature by clarifying the mechanisms that underpin employee-driven innovation in rapidly developing economies

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