The study of affecting factors on faculty members’ psychological empowerment: An investigation in the Iran's agricultural colleges

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the affecting factors on faculty members’ psychological empowerment of agricultural colleges in Iran.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 404 faculty members from 12 agricultural colleges participated in this survey study. Based on the literature a conceptual model of factors affecting psychological empowerment of agricultural faculty members was proposed. Regression analysis was used to determine the effect of proposed affecting factors.

Findings

Results showed that professional skills, organizational culture and management-organizational factors, respectively, had the most positive significant effect on psychological empowerment of agricultural faculty members.

Research limitations/implications

The measuring of professional skills, one of the effective factors on faculty members’ psychological empowerment, by asking their colleagues or students may lead to more accurate data while in this study was evaluated through self-assessment.

Practical implications

The relative weakness/strength of agricultural colleges in different dimensions of faculty members’ psychological empowerment and also factors affecting them can be used as a basis for planning for improving agricultural faculty members’ psychological empowerment.

Originality/value

The proposed conceptual model provided a framework for investigating the factors affecting psychological empowerment of agricultural faculty members and was empirically tested.

Citation

Gholifar, E. and Gholami, H. (2014), "The study of affecting factors on faculty members’ psychological empowerment: An investigation in the Iran's agricultural colleges", Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, Vol. 6 No. 1, pp. 63-74. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-12-2012-0075