Testing the structure of psychological empowerment: Does gender make a difference?

Psychological empowerment (PE) is presumed to be a second-order latent construct composed of four dimensions: meaning, competence, self-determination, and impact. Based on the results of two validation studies, it has been hypothesized that loadings of the four dimensions on PE could vary across gender groups. A multiple-group second-order confirmatory factor analysis was performed to verify if the factor structure of Spreitzer's PE questionnaire was invariant between groups of 191 male and 200 female nurses. Results indicated that the structure of the PE questionnaire could be assumed invariant across genders. Directions for future research are discussed.