As employees find meaning in work and are able to understand their role in fulfilling the strategic goals of the organisation, they feel a sense of empowerment and therefore approach their work with a close sense of identification with their organisation. It is presumed that this kind of attitude will lead the employees to go beyond their call of duty, take ownership and run the extra mile to contribute towards larger organisational well-being apart from fulfilling their individual objectives.
One of the dominant discussions about today’s workplace prescription for success is flexibility that is frequently observed in the form of flexible work culture and workplace flexibility. While discussing the role of flexibility in employment relationship we have tried to tackle two perspectives -- how flexibility influences employee psyche in practice, and secondly, its conceptualisation to supplement empowerment, with the intention of extending the existing theoretical base.
A sample of 288 executives was taken from a manufacturing unit in eastern India. Confirmatory factor analysis was carried out through LISREL 8.8 to assess the distinctness of the constructs in the study. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed a significant moderating role of perceived flexibility in the association between meaningful work and psychological empowerment. Implications of the study are discussed in light of the findings.
