Be Proactive as Empowered? The Role of Trust in One's Supervisor in Psychological Empowerment, Feedback Seeking, and Job Performance

Abstract

This study explores whether psychological empowerment links to employees’ feedback‐seeking behavior, as well as the subsequent consequences of feedback‐seeking behavior (i.e., job performance) by showing that trust in one's immediate supervisor plays a key role. Data were collected from full‐time employees enrolled in the O n‐the‐ J ob M asters programs of 13 universities in T aiwan. Structural equation modeling was used to test the research hypotheses. The results of this study provide support for a process model that links psychological empowerment, trust in one's immediate supervisor, feedback‐seeking behavior, and job performance. Specifically, psychological empowerment is positively associated with feedback‐seeking behavior via trust in one's immediate supervisor. Moreover, feedback‐seeking behavior mediates the relationships between trust in one's immediate supervisor and job performance.