Staff nurse perception of job empowerment and organizational commitment. A test of Kanter's theory of structural power in organizations.

In this study, Rosabeth Kanter's structural theory of organizational behavior was tested in a nursing population by examining the relationship between 161 staff nurses' perceived job empowerment and their commitment to the organization. Data were collected using the Organizational Description Opinionnaire, the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire, a modified version of the Conditions for Work Effectiveness Questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire. Consistent with Kanter's theory, a strong positive relationship was found between nurses' perceptions of power and opportunity and their commitment to the organization. In addition, overall empowerment was correlated positively with nurses' perceptions of their immediate managers' power. The results suggest that nurse administrators can empower their staff and improve organizational commitment by manipulating the structures in the work environment to allow greater access to the power and opportunity structures that Kanter maintains are important to overall work effectiveness.