Relationship Between Followership and Psychological Empowerment Among Church Employees

December 3, 2025

Relationship Between Followership and Psychological Empowerment Among Church Employees

Zachary Whitt | 2023

Abstract

There is much leadership research focusing on the leader, but not as much centering on the follower. An understanding of followership is a critical component of successful leadership and will contribute to an organization’s success; however, there has been a lack of focused study in the field of implicit followship theories (IFTs), particularly among nonsecular organizations and populations. Furthermore, IFTs remain primarily an academic concept that is rarely considered for nonacademic use. A broader understanding of IFTs could lead to an improved understanding of the interconnection of leadership and followership. Therefore, the purpose of the current quantitative study was to examine whether a correlation exists between followership types and psychological empowerment among evangelical church employees. The sample included 69 evangelical church employees in North Carolina who completed an online survey. The findings revealed that critical independent thinking is associated with competence and impact. Church employees who exhibited greater independent critical thinking reported greater competence and impact. Additionally, active participation is associated with meaning, competence, self-determination, and impact. Church employees who reported more active participation reported more meaning, competence, self-determination, and impact. Some of these correlations are weak, however, and should therefore be interpreted with caution. The current study added to the literature through an examination of IFTs for nonacademic use. The findings are consistent with Kelly’s (1992) theory, as well as the conclusions of previous studies. Identifying the distinction between exemplary and alienated followers may be important for understanding the association between individual critical thinking and psychological empowerment.

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