The mediating role of psychological empowerment in the effect of psychological capital on workplace happiness: A study on white-collar private sector employees in Istanbul

In today's business world, employee happiness has become a critical factor for the sustainable success of organizations. Employees' happiness in the workplace is not only essential for their individual well-being but also significantly influences employee behaviors that contribute to organizations' long-term and repeatable success. In this context, it is important to examine how the concept of psychological capital, which stands out in the field of positive organizational behavior, shapes employees' happiness at work. Understanding how psychological capital affects workplace happiness and identifying the factors involved in this process are crucial issues to be addressed. Building on this perspective, this study investigates the mediating role of psychological empowerment in the effect of psychological capital on workplace happiness. Psychological capital comprises elements such as self-efficacy, hope, optimism, and psychological resilience, which represent individuals' positive psychological resources. Meanwhile, psychological empowerment enables employees to experience a sense of meaning, autonomy, competence, and impact in their work. Workplace happiness, on the other hand, is a combination of the positive emotions employees experience in their workplace. The study aimed to identify and analyze the relationships among psychological capital, workplace happiness, and psychological empowerment. The population of the study consists of white-collar employees working in the private sector (banking, pharmaceutical, durable consumer goods, education, and healthcare) in Istanbul. The research was conducted using quantitative methods, and the data were collected through a survey administered to 403 white-collar employees working in the private sector in Istanbul. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS software. The findings of the study reveal that psychological capital has a statistically significant and positive effect on workplace happiness. Furthermore, psychological empowerment was also found to have a positive and significant impact on workplace happiness. The results indicate that psychological capital positively and significantly influences psychological empowerment as well. Finally, the analysis demonstrated that psychological empowerment plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between psychological capital and workplace happiness. The findings of the study suggest that managers, business owners, and human resources professionals who aim to enhance employee happiness in the workplace should design programs to develop psychological capital components and create work environments that enhance employees' psychological empowerment experiences. This study aims to contribute to both the academic literature and practical applications.