FROM CONTROL TO EMPOWERMENT: HOW DELEGATION, TRUST, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY INTERACT IN ALBANIAN LEADERSHIP
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Abstract
Does delegation create psychological safety? In many Western settings, the evidence suggests that it does. In Albania, however, the relationship is less clear-cut. Using data from 157 Albanian employees, testing of the Intelligent Delegation Model revealed that delegation strengthens trust, which in turn supports psychological safety. However, the process does not extend beyond this. Psychological safety did not result in better outcomes, and high-quality communication undermined the trust-building effect of delegation. When managers delegate and communicate intensively, Albanian employees may interpret this as inconsistent, seeing it as more akin to control than empowerment. This suggests that Western leadership theories cannot be applied unchanged in different contexts. In high power-distance, post-socialist environments, effective delegation may require granting genuine autonomy, which may entail limiting managerial communication rather than increasing it. Therefore, organisations should adapt their empowerment practices to local cultural expectations instead of importing global 'best practices' that may have unintended consequences.
How to Cite
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delegation, psychological safety, trust in leadership, organisational behaviour, communication
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