Exploring the influence of quality management systems in work engagement and psychological empowerment in private institutions of social solidarity

Aiming at exploring the influence of quality management systems (QMS) in staff’s work engagement and psychological empowerment in private institutions of social solidarity (IPSSs), this study performs a comparative analysis between institutions with and without an ISO 9001-based QMS. Data were collected through questionnaires applied to employees from two IPSSs with a certified QMS and two IPSSs without a QMS. Findings show that although employees’ perception about psychological empowerment and engagement are generally higher in IPSS with an ISO 9001-based QMS, these differences are not statistically significant. Nevertheless, in what empowerment concerns, the perception of employees with leading role in IPSS with an ISO 9001-based QMS is significantly greater than the perception of those in IPSS without a QMS. To our knowledge, no previous study has investigated the influence of ISO 9001-based QMS in employees’ work-related attitudes in the third sector; these results contribute thus to new insights concerning a clearly under-researched field.