HOW PSYCHOLOGICAL EMPOWERMENT AFFECTS WORK-RELATED OUTCOMES: THE CASE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES

Psychological empowerment of customer service representatives (CSRs) is seen to play a considerable impact on enhancing service quality and customer satisfaction in the service-based industry. The objective of this paper is to explore the factors that influence CSRs' psychological empowerment to foster positive workplace outcomes. A qualitative descriptive exploratory study was drawn using in-depth- interviews. Thirteen CSRs from diverse industries were interviewed using a semi-structured interview. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings suggest five factors that foster CSRs' psychological empowerment: (a) leadership, (b) clear and supportive policies, (c) training and development opportunities, (d) financial rewards, and (e) workload and flexibility. The findings of our study strongly highlight the crucial role of colleagues in fostering psychological empowerment, as employees have learned to rely on collegiality in the absence of other factors. Our study offers a fresh Saudi qualitative perspective on psychological empowerment among CSRs. The study sheds light on the significant role of colleagues in fostering psychological empowerment among CSRs in non-western contexts and offers valuable practical insights for companies aiming to enhance this important aspect of employee well-being.