Testing the effects of an empowerment-based leadership development programme: part 1 - leader outcomes

An authentic leadership training programme to increase nurse empowerment and patient safety: A quasi-experimental study

BACKGROUND

Authentic leadership and empowered nurses are necessary if a healthy work environment is to be created and patient safety maintained; however, few studies have examined the impact of authentic leadership, on nurse empowerment and the patient safety climate.

PURPOSE

The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of an educational intervention delivered through a multi-faceted training programme on nurses' perceptions of authentic leadership, nurse empowerment (both structural and psychological) and the patient safety climate.

DESIGN

A quasi-experimental study using a one-group pretest-posttest design consistent with TREND guidelines.

METHODS

The study was conducted in a university hospital between December 2018 and January 2020. Participants were followed for 6 months. The programme involved 36 head nurses (leaders) and 153 nurses (followers). The effectiveness of the programme was evaluated using repeated measures of analysis of variance, dependent sample t-tests and hierarchical regression analysis.

RESULTS

Following the intervention, safety climate and authentic leadership scores increased among both leaders and followers. Structural and psychological empowerment scores also increased among followers. We found that authentic leadership and structural empowerment were predictors of safety climate.

CONCLUSION

The implementation of the education programme resulted in positive changes in participants' perceptions of authentic leadership and empowerment, which can enhance patient safety.

IMPLICATIONS

Healthcare organizations can implement similar multi-faceted training programmes focused on authentic leadership, and nurse empowerment to increase patient safety. Achieving effective results in such programmes can be facilitated by motivating participants with the support of the top management.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

The study included nurses in the intervention and the data collection processes.

IMPACT

Patient safety is a global concern, and improving patient safety culture/climate is a key strategy in preventing harm. Authentic leadership and nurse empowerment are essential in creating healthy work environments and delivering safe, high-quality care. Training programmes addressing these issues can help bring about improvements in healthcare organizations.

Impact of empowering leadership on emotional exhaustion: A controlled interventional study in a large French university hospital complex

AIM

The aim of this study is to assess the effect of a systemic intervention on the evolution of empowering leadership and emotional exhaustion in a university hospital sub-centre compared to a control sub-centre, both being part of a large French university hospital complex.

BACKGROUND

Empowering leadership is a promising strategy for developing hospital team engagement and performance. However, the bureaucratic functioning of large hospitals, characterized by a managerial culture of control and a stratified organization, can be a barrier to empowering leadership.

METHODS

The intervention included empowering leadership training, direct field experimentation of empowering leadership and coaching, involving all the sub-centre hierarchical levels for 12 months. Data were collected before and after the intervention. A total of 441 and 310 participants were, respectively, included in the intervention and control sub-centres.

RESULTS

Empowering leadership was decreased, and emotional exhaustion was increased in the control sub-centre, while the scores remained stable in the intervention sub-centre. The increased emotional exhaustion in the control sub-centre could partially be explained by the change in empowering leadership.

CONCLUSION

In a context of decreased empowering leadership and increased emotional exhaustion, the intervention had a protective effect. Implications for the design of future interventions were discussed.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

This study unequivocally showed the benefit of transforming hospital management towards empowering leadership, to prevent increased emotional exhaustion.

REGISTRATION NUMBER

This study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov on 4 July 2019 (NCT04010773).

A mixed-methods systematic review of interventions to improve leadership competencies of managers supervising nurses

AIM

This study aimed to synthesize evidence on interventions to improve leadership competencies of managers supervising nurses.

BACKGROUND

In recent years, numerous interventions have been developed to improve the leadership competencies of managers supervising nurses. However, researchers and nursing leaders are unclear about what aspects of interventions are effective for developing which competencies.

METHODS

We conducted a mixed-methods systematic review following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) approach for evidence synthesis. The Medline (Ovid), CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, Nursing and Allied Health Database were reviewed. Data extraction, quality appraisal and narrative synthesis were conducted in line with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

RESULTS

A total of 69 studies (35 quantitative, 22 mixed methods, 12 qualitative) evaluating 68 interventions were included. Studies showed that interventions used modal activities such as lectures, group work and mentoring that generally had positive effects on improving leadership competencies such as supporting, developing and recognizing nurses. Opportunities to interact with peers increased managers' engagement in the interventions; however, many barriers existed for managers to use the competencies in practice including understaffing, insufficient time and lack of support from supervisors and staff.

CONCLUSIONS

Leadership interventions were shown to have beneficial effects on developing different competencies. Managers predominately felt positive about participating in leadership interventions; however, they expressed many difficulties applying what they learned in practice.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Leadership interventions should include multimodal activities that give managers opportunities for interaction. When considering interventions for developing the leadership of managers, it is imperative to consider the practice environments for managers to be successful in applying the competencies they learned in practice.

The role of empowering leadership and psychological empowerment on nurses’ work engagement and affective commitment

Purpose

This study aims to investigate to role of empowering leadership and psychological empowerment on nurses' work engagement and affective commitment.

Design/methodology/approach

Self-administered questionnaire data from 231 nurses working in a university hospital in Saudi Arabia were analysed using a cross-sectional research design using structural equation modelling (SEM) to assess the relationship between empowering leadership (EL), affective commitment (AC) and work engagement (WE) while testing for the mediating role of psychological empowerment (PE).

Findings

SEM analysis demonstrated that EL significantly relates to AC. AC similarly significantly relates to WE. Further, the results showed that PE substantially mediates the relationship between EL and WE. There is no significant direct relationship found between EL and WE.

Practical implications

The study findings are essential for nursing managers. They illustrate that nurses become more committed to their organisation and, in return, more engaged with their work when they receive EL. Therefore, nursing managers could train their leaders to practice EL as increased WE has been found to result in other positive work attitudes such as reduced turnover intention.

Originality/value

This study corroborates the relationships between EL, AC and WE, as well as the mediating role of PE. However, this research is unique as the long-established relationship between EL and WE was not supported. It shows that the propositions of leader-member exchange theory may not hold for unique non-Western contexts, in this case, Saudi Arabia.

Nurses' clinical leadership in the hospital setting: a systematic review

Aim

This study aims to identify the most effective interventions to facilitate nurses' clinical leadership in the hospital setting.

Background

There is a gap in the literature on the identification and measurement of effective interventions for leadership skill development among clinical nurses in hospitals. To the best of our knowledge, no systematic review has been performed on this issue.

Evaluation

A systematic review was conducted. The PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Cochrane databases were reviewed. Data extraction, quality appraisal and narrative synthesis were conducted in line with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Key issues

The evidence reveals that interventions designed to promote nurses' clinical leadership are complex, requiring that cognitive, interpersonal and intrinsic competencies as well as psychological empowerment, emotional intelligence and critical reflexivity skills be addressed.

Conclusions

The development of multicomponent, theory‐based and mixed‐format programmes may be more suitable to facilitate nurses' clinical leadership in the hospital setting.

Implications for Nursing Management

Strategies to facilitate nurses' clinical leadership in the hospital setting should address simultaneously the knowledge and ability of bedsides nurses to solve the practical problem collaboratively with a sense of control, competency and autonomy. Hence, it would promote high quality care, satisfaction and retention of bedside nurses.

Leadership Styles and Psychological Empowerment: A Meta-Analysis

Psychological empowerment has become a popular construct in organizational research and practice. Leadership ranks high among the best predictors of employees’ psychological empowerment, yet little is known about which leadership styles prove more effective than others. This meta-analysis investigates the effects of four leadership styles on psychological empowerment. More specifically, we test whether empowering leadership evokes more psychological empowerment than transformational leadership, servant leadership, or transactional leadership. We found that empowering, transformational and servant leadership contribute almost equally to psychological empowerment. No relationship was found with transactional leadership. In an explorative manner, we tested the effects on the different dimensions of psychological empowerment. We found that the leadership styles had a weaker influence on the competence dimension of psychological empowerment. We also investigated the effects of several moderators on the relationships with psychological empowerment: country culture (power balanced freedom (PBF)), study design (cross-sectional vs. multi-wave studies) and publication status (published vs. unpublished). We found no moderating effects of culture, which indicates the universally empowering effects of the leadership styles. The relationships between leadership and empowerment were somewhat weaker when data were collected at different measurement points, and publication bias does not seem to be an issue in this research field.

Developing an instrument to assess empowering nurse leader communication behaviours

AIM

The overall purpose of the study was to develop an instrument to assess empowering nurse leader communication behaviours.

BACKGROUND

Effective communication by nurse leaders promotes empowerment, yet communication assessments are often broad in nature without specifying precise behaviours.

METHODS

An instrument development process was used to identify empowering nurse leader communication behaviours. Nurses working in United States military health care facilities (n = 240) provided responses to 47 pilot items, along with a 12-item psychological empowerment instrument to test for concurrent criterion validity.

RESULTS

After review of item performance, 12 items were deleted. An exploratory factor analysis supported either a 2- or 3-factor model, with confirmatory factor analyses conducted to validate the underlying latent variables of empowering and limiting behaviours. The final nurse leader communication assessment consists of 2 factors consisting of 20 positive items (empowering subscale) and 15 negative items (limiting subscale).

CONCLUSION

The final 2-factor assessment supports the theoretical premise of the empowering and limiting behaviours. Further testing may provide further dimensional clarity.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Use of the assessment can provide a basis for the development of training for individual nurse leaders or for facility nurse leaders as a collective.

Leadership empowering behaviour as a predictor of employees' psychological well-being: Evidence from a cross-sectional study among secondary school teachers in Kohat Division, Pakistan

In this technologically developed scenario, many organizations in developing countries including Pakistan have expanded the enthusiasm for understanding and creating an encouraging administrative and managerial environment. Numerous organizations are struggling for structural changes by deserting the old-fashioned organizational management style and implementing an empowering leadership where leaders give more authority to subordinates in decision making and responsibilities with the aim to increase organizational productivity. Therefore, the study examined the leadership empowering behaviour as a predictor of employees’ psychological well-being of the educational institutions at secondary level in Kohat Division, Pakistan. A total sample of 564 secondary school teachers (male n = 379; female n = 185) was carefully chosen through a stratified random sampling technique. In this study, a non-experimental predictive correlational design was adopted. In order to collect data from the participants, two different standardized research tools i.e., the Leader Empowering Behaviour Questionnaire and Ryff’s Psychological Well-being Scale were used. After the collection of data, it was analyzed on the basis of mean, standard deviation, Pearson’s product-moment correlation, and multiple linear regression model. In conclusion, the study confirmed a significant positive correlation between leadership empowering behaviour and employees’ psychological well-being. Leadership empowering behaviours predict employees’ psychological well-being positively. Therefore, it was recommended that empowering behaviour might be adopted by the school leaders to improve the employees’ psychological well-being for better organizational productivity.

The content of the nurses in the lead programme for empowering community nurse leadership in implementing evidence

PURPOSE

This study aims to provide a detailed description of the nurses in the lead (NitL) programme for empowering community nurse leadership in implementing evidence.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

The NitL programme is described using the template for intervention description and replication-checklist.

FINDINGS

The NitL programme consists of two components. The first component is a systematic approach with implementation steps and tools to empower community nurses in implementing evidence targeted at encouraging functional activities of older adults offered via a Web-based eLearning programme. The second component is training to empower community nurses in enabling team members to change their practice, which focussed on motivational interviewing, influencing behaviour, dealing with resistance to change and coaching delivered as a combination of group training in practice and background theory via a web-based eLearning programme.

RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS

Further research is needed to evaluate the feasibility and effects of the NitL programme.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

The NitL programme has been developed in cooperation with community nurses to meet their needs in practice and has the potential to develop leadership for the core tasks of community nurses.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

The NitL programme has been developed to empower the leadership of community nurses in implementing evidence targeted at encouraging functional activities of older adults. The leadership role of community nurses is key for delivering high-quality care and implementing evidence within the community care setting for encouraging functional activities of older adults to preserve their independence.

The essentials of nursing leadership: A systematic review of factors and educational interventions influencing nursing leadership

BACKGROUND

Nursing leadership plays a vital role in shaping outcomes for healthcare organizations, personnel and patients. With much of the leadership workforce set to retire in the near future, identifying factors that positively contribute to the development of leadership in nurses is of utmost importance.

OBJECTIVES

To identify determining factors of nursing leadership, and the effectiveness of interventions to enhance leadership in nurses.

DESIGN

We conducted a systematic review, including a total of nine electronic databases.

DATA SOURCES

Databases included: Medline, Academic Search Premier, Embase, PsychInfo, Sociological Abstracts, ABI, CINAHL, ERIC, and Cochrane.

REVIEW METHODS

Studies were included if they quantitatively examined factors contributing to nursing leadership or educational interventions implemented with the intention of developing leadership practices in nurses. Two research team members independently reviewed each article to determine inclusion. All included studies underwent quality assessment, data extraction and content analysis.

RESULTS

49,502 titles/abstracts were screened resulting in 100 included manuscripts reporting on 93 studies (n=44 correlational studies and n=49 intervention studies). One hundred and five factors examined in correlational studies were categorized into 5 groups experience and education, individuals' traits and characteristics, relationship with work, role in the practice setting, and organizational context. Correlational studies revealed mixed results with some studies finding positive correlations and other non-significant relationships with leadership. Participation in leadership interventions had a positive impact on the development of a variety of leadership styles in 44 of 49 intervention studies, with relational leadership styles being the most common target of interventions.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this review make it clear that targeted educational interventions are an effective method of leadership development in nurses. However, due to equivocal results reported in many included studies and heterogeneity of leadership measurement tools, few conclusions can be drawn regarding which specific nurse characteristics and organizational factors most effectively contribute to the development of nursing leadership. Contextual and confounding factors that may mediate the relationships between nursing characteristics, development of leadership and enhancement of leadership development programs also require further examination. Targeted development of nursing leadership will help ensure that nurses of the future are well equipped to tackle the challenges of a burdened health-care system.

Does emotional intelligence and empowering leadership affect psychological empowerment and work engagement?

Purpose

The objective of this study is to investigate the role of emotional intelligence and empowering leadership in enhancing psychological empowerment and work engagement in private hospitals.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 500 questionnaires were distributed to staff nurses at five private hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 100 questionnaires to each hospital, with an achieved response rate of 34.8%.

Findings

The results show statistically significant positive relationships between emotional intelligence, empowering leadership, psychological empowerment and work engagement. The relationship between emotional intelligence and work engagement and psychological empowerment and work engagement were not significant.

Research limitations/implications

The study found that employees who have a high level of emotional intelligence and the positive stimulus of empowering leadership demonstrate enhanced psychological empowerment and work engagement.

Practical implications

A better understanding of the role of EI and EL in enhancing psychological empowerment and work engagement could help hospitals reduce turnover among nurses and improve their relationships with patients, as well as maintaining competitive advantage.

Originality/value

The study provides evidence to support the effect of EI on empowering leadership, psychological empowerment and work engagement in private hospitals.

Experts' perceptions of management and leadership competence in Finnish hospitals in 2030

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to elicit and analyze experts' perceptions of management and leadership competence (MLC) and likely MLC developments and requirements in hospital contexts by 2030.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

A three-round, web-based Argument Delphi process was used to gather critically discussed opposing perceptions of 33 Finnish experts, which were subjected to inductive content analysis to identify themes.

FINDINGS

Current deficiencies in MLC and several trends (e.g. an ongoing shift towards collaborative management) and required improvements (e.g. a need to adopt more holistic approaches) were identified. However, there were some conflicting perceptions, regarding for example the desirability of fixed-term positions for managers.

RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS

The findings provide qualitative indications of a group of Finnish experts' perceptions of MLC and requirements for its development, elicited using the Argument Delphi Method. Thus, they are subject to the usual limitations of the applied methodology and should be generalized to other contexts cautiously.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

The identification of current deficiencies and future requirements for MLC may facilitate the formulation of robust approaches for improving it in hospital contexts.

SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The findings may be useful for improving MLC in hospitals, thereby enhancing efficiency, teamwork, safety and client satisfaction in healthcare settings.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

The Argument Delphi Method has been rarely used in health management science studies and healthcare context. It is intended to develop relevant arguments and reveal reasons for differing views about focal issues, thereby providing deeper understanding of experts' perceptions of MLC and its likely development.

Impact at two years of an intervention on empowerment among medical care teams: study protocol of a randomised controlled trial in a large French university hospital

BACKGROUND

Empowerment of hospital workers is known as a key factor of organizational performance and occupational health. Nevertheless, empowering workers remains a real challenge. As in many traditional organizations, hospitals follow a bureaucratic model defined by a managerial culture of control and a stratified organization, which at once weaken professionals' mastery of their work and hinder their commitment and performance. Based on the existing literature this protocol describes a new managerial and organizational transformation program as well as the study design of its effect on worker empowerment in a large French public hospital. The project is funded by the French Ministry of Health for a total of 498,180 €.

METHODS

This study is a randomized controlled trial conducted in a French university hospital complex (CHU). The CHU comprises 12 sub-centers (SC) with about 20 care units and 1000 employees each. Randomization is performed at SC level. The intervention lasts 12 months and combines accompaniment of healthcare teams, frontline managers and SC directors to empower first-line professionals in the experimental SC. Quantitative outcome measurements are collected over 2 years during mandatory check-ups in the occupational medicine department. The primary outcomes are structural and psychological empowerment, motivational processes, managerial practices, working conditions, health and performance. Mixed linear modeling is the primary data analysis strategy.

DISCUSSION

The protocol was approved by the CHU health ethics committee. The results of the analysis of the intervention effects will be reported in a series of scientific articles. The results will contribute to reflection on prevention and management policies, and to the development of Workplace Quality-of-Life. If the intervention is a success, the system will warrant replication in other SCs and in other health facilities.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The study was retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov on July 4, 2019 (NCT04010773).

Disentangling the relationship between empowering leader behaviors and adaptive performance in work teams

When teams operate in a dynamic and complex environment, their ability to adapt to changing demands is crucial for organizational success. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of empowering behaviors exhibited by team leaders in team adaptive performance by taking into account the mediating role of shared leadership displayed by team members and the moderating effect of access to resources. Data were collected from 82 work teams (i.e., 394 members and 82 immediate supervisors) in a public safety organization. Results of path analyses show that the relationship between empowering leader behaviors and team adaptive performance is mediated by shared leadership. Moreover, we found that the relationship between empowering leader behaviors and shared leadership is moderated by access to resources, such that this relationship is stronger when the level of access to resources is high. Overall, the findings shed light on the process through which team leaders can enhance the adaptive performance of their team.

Perceptions of future hospital management in Finland

PURPOSE

The purpose of this paper is to describe how Finnish experts perceive future (year 2030) hospital management and leadership.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

A total of 33 experts participated in a three-round Argument Delphi process. Opposing views of management and leadership in 2030 were analyzed using inductive content analysis.

FINDINGS

The experts' perceptions were divided into two main categories: management and leadership orientation and future organization. Perceptions relating to management and leadership orientation were classified as relating to patient-centred, clinical dominance, professionally divided and management career options. Perceptions relating to future management and leadership organization were classified as representing shared, pair, team and the individual-centered leadership. The results highlighted the most distinctive issues raised by the participants.

RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS

This qualitative study was conducted in the context of Finnish healthcare according to the principles of the Argument Delphi Method. The panel consisted of high-level experts representing a diverse set of roles. However, as suggested in previous literature, these experts may not be the most astute in predicting the future development of hospital organizations.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

The findings can be used to develop and renew management and leadership training and management practices in hospitals.

SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The findings can be exploited in discussions, planning and decision making regarding future management and leadership in hospitals.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

Only a few studies have investigated perceptions of future management in hospitals. This study adopted the Argument Delphi Method to identify distinct perceptions on the future orientation and organization of management and leadership in hospitals.

Exploring, defining, and illustrating a concept: Structural and psychological empowerment in the workplace

AIM

The aim of this concept analysis is to clarify the meaning and relationship of psychological and structural empowerment.

BACKGROUND

Empowerment is linked to positive organizational and individual constructs and outcomes. Improving the work environment may assist in sustaining a fragile and essential workforce.

DESIGN

Walker and Avant's method was used to guide an analysis of this concept.

DATA SOURCE

Resources published from 1970 to 2018 were identified via electronic databases, empirical works, and modern operational usage of the terms.

REVIEW METHODS

A literature review and search for concept maps were completed and analyzed to identify uses and definitions of the concept: attributes, antecedents, consequences, and empirical referents. It also includes identifying model, borderline, and contrary cases to differentiate empowerment from other related concepts.

RESULTS

A comprehensive, inclusive review of empowerment must include both constructs, structural and psychological. A conceptual map of these akin constructs illustrates their syndication.

CONCLUSIONS

The concept of examining empowerment from both constructs, structural and psychological, is necessary to develop evidence-based practice strategies and improve the work environment and workforce.

Kansas nurse leader residency programme: advancing leader knowledge and skills

AIMS

To evaluate the effectiveness of the Kansas Nurse Leader Residency (KNLR) programme in improving nurses' leadership knowledge and skills and its acceptability, feasibility and fidelity.

BACKGROUND

The Future of Nursing Report (Institute of Medicine, 2011) calls for nurses to lead change and advance health. The 6-month KNLR programme was developed by the Kansas Action Coalition to support nurses' leadership development.

METHODS

Nurses (n = 36) from four nursing specialties (acute care, long-term care, public health and school health) participated in the programme. The adapted Leader Knowledge and Skill Inventory was used to assess leadership knowledge and skills. Programme acceptability, feasibility and implementation fidelity also were evaluated.

RESULTS

The programme completion rate was 67.7% (n = 24). Programme completers had significantly improved self-assessed and mentor-assessed leadership knowledge and skills (p < .05). These post-programme gains were maintained 3 months after programme completion.

CONCLUSIONS

The KNLR programme effectively improved leadership knowledge and skills and was positively evaluated by participants. The implementation of the KNLR programme using a hybrid format of in-person sessions and online modules was feasible across four specialty areas in both rural and urban regions.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

The next steps include the development of an advanced programme. Residency programmes for new nurse leaders are critical for successful transition into management positions.

The Nursing Leadership Institute program evaluation: a critique

A theory-driven program evaluation was conducted for a nursing leadership program, as a collaborative project between university faculty, the nurses’ union, the provincial Ministry of Health, and its chief nursing officers. A collaborative logic model process was used to engage stakeholders, and mixed methods approaches were used to answer evaluation questions. Despite demonstrated, successful outcomes, the leadership program was not supported with continued funding. This paper examines what happened during the evaluation process: What factors failed to sustain this program?

Leadership empowering behaviour, psychological empowerment, organisational citizenship behaviours and turnover intention in a manufacturing division

Orientation: Employees’ perceptions of their leaders’ behaviour play a role in creating empowering environments where employees are willing to do more than what is expected, with retention of employees as a result.Research purpose: The aim of this study was to theoretically conceptualise and empirically determine the relationships between employees’ perception of their leaders’ empowering behaviour, psychological empowerment, organisational citizenship behaviours and intention to leave within a manufacturing division of an organisation.Motivation for the study: In the ever-changing work environment, organisations must capitalise on their human capital in order to maintain competitiveness. It is therefore important to identify the role of employees’ perception of leadership in contributing to the establishment of an environment where employees feel empowered, are willing to do more than what is expected and want to stay in the organisation.Research design, approach and method: A non-experimental, cross-sectional survey design was used. The total population (N = 300) employed at the manufacturing division was targeted. Two hundred completed questionnaires were obtained. The Leader Empowering Behaviour Questionnaire, Measuring Empowerment Questionnaire, Organisational Citizenship Behaviour Questionnaire and Intention to Leave Scale were administered.Main findings: Employees’ perception of their leaders’ empowering behaviour (keeping employees accountable, self-directed decision-making and people development), psychological empowerment (attitude and influence) and organisational citizenship behaviours (loyalty, deviant behaviour and participation) predict intention to leave the organisation.Practical/managerial implications: Organisations should foster the elements of a positive organisation, in this case leader empowering behaviours, if they want to retain their employees.Contribution/value-add: The results of this research contribute to scientific knowledge about the positive effects of employees experiencing their leaders as empowering.