Journal article
I Feel Safe, Do We? Differentiating the Multilevel Moderation of Psychological Safety on the Psychological Empowerment - Performance Relationship
Group & organization management, 10596011251389657
23 Oct 2025
Abstract
Although numerous studies have increasingly examined psychological safety at individual and unit levels of analyses, few have disentangled their distinct moderating effects. Thus, it remains unclear whether the impact of unit psychological safety derives primarily from individuals’ perceptions of the unit, or from members’ shared unit perceptions. We test whether psychological safety—either as an individual-driven (within-unit) force or as a unit-driven (cross-level) force—moderates the relationship between psychological empowerment and individual performance. Using a sample of 478 healthcare professionals from 78 hospital units, we found that psychological empowerment exhibited a positive relationship with subsequent individual performance at relatively high levels of psychological safety, whereas it exhibited a negative relationship at relatively low levels of psychological safety. We found that the interaction was strictly a cross-level effect after differentiating psychological safety effects across levels. Our results show it is not enough for individuals to perceive unit psychological safety for themselves, but those perceptions need to be shared with other members of the unit for psychological empowerment to yield individual performance benefits. We discuss the implications for future theory, research, and practice.
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Details
- Title
- I Feel Safe, Do We? Differentiating the Multilevel Moderation of Psychological Safety on the Psychological Empowerment - Performance Relationship
- Creators
- Monique A. Domingo - Louisiana State UniversityPeter T. Gallagher - University of ConnecticutJohn E. Mathieu - University of ConnecticutM. Travis Maynard - Colorado State UniversityLauren D’Innocenzo - Drexel University, Management
- Publication Details
- Group & organization management, 10596011251389657
- Publisher
- Group & organization management
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Management
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001598626100001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105019761013
- Other Identifier
- 991022124350904721
InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Management
- Psychology, Applied