Does empowerment work? The role of education in service quality

The current study investigated the impact of employees’ educational level on the relationship between empowerment and service quality while exploring the role of perceived supervisor support. Empirical data were collected from 214 employees and 250 customers from the same companies, with structural equation modelling and Hayes’ (2018) moderation technique being employed to analyze the collected data. Resultantly, empowerment significantly impacted service quality based on employees’ educational level while reducing the perception of service quality among employees with high school diplomas or lower educational levels. Contrarily, empowerment increased service quality performance for employees with bachelor's degrees or higher levels. Managers should consider employees’ educational backgrounds during empowerment to improve service quality. Perceived supervisor support also significantly mediated the association between empowerment and service quality, regardless of employees’ educational level. The findings contributed to the knowledge of the complex dynamics between empowerment, educational level, supervisor support, and service quality.