​Employees' belief in the degree to which they affect their work environment, their competence, the meaningfulness of their job and perceived autonomy in their work is known as:​

Correct option is C

Psychological empowerment refers to an individual's intrinsic motivation that is based on their perception of having control over their work, meaningfulness of the job, and belief in their capability. It is a psychological state that reflects an active orientation to one’s work role. This concept, developed and researched extensively by Thomas and Velthouse (1990) and Gretchen Spreitzer (1995), includes four key cognitions:

1. Meaning – the value of a work goal or purpose, judged in relation to one’s own ideals or standards.

2. Competence (Self-efficacy) – belief in one’s capability to perform work activities with skill.

3. Self-determination (Autonomy) – a sense of having choice in initiating and regulating one’s actions.

4. Impact – the degree to which one can influence strategic, administrative, or operating outcomes at work.

Together, these elements create a sense of control and purpose, making the employee feel empowered, which leads to higher engagement, creativity, and organizational performance.

Information Booster:

• Psychological empowerment is strongly linked to employee motivation, organizational citizenship behavior, and job performance.

• It fosters proactivity, innovation, and job satisfaction as employees feel their role has value and their actions have consequences.

• It is not about giving authority formally, but about creating a perception of empowerment.

• Organizations promote psychological empowerment through participative decision-making, training, autonomy in work, and recognition of individual contributions.

• It is a core construct in positive organizational behavior and transformational leadership models.

Additional Knowledge:

(a) Job involvement:
Refers to the degree to which a person identifies psychologically with their job and considers their performance level important to self-worth. It focuses on identity and work centrality, not on autonomy or competence.

(b) Job satisfaction:
Refers to an individual's general attitude or emotional response toward their job. While influenced by empowerment, it is an outcome, not the belief structure defined in the question.

(d) Organizational commitment:
Describes the emotional attachment and loyalty an employee has towards the organization. It reflects willingness to remain with the organization, not necessarily belief in one’s personal influence or autonomy.