Investigating the Structural Model of the Impact of Empowerment on Entrepreneurship with the Mediating Role of Organizational Ambidexterity in Elementary School Teachers in Sari
Keywords:
empowerment, entrepreneurship, organizational ambidexterity, teachers, SariAbstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the structural model of the effect of empowerment on entrepreneurship with the mediating role of organizational ambidexterity among elementary school teachers in Sari. This applied study employed a descriptive-correlational design based on Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The statistical population included all 1,211 elementary school teachers in Sari during the 2023–2024 academic year, from which 292 teachers were selected using a random-stratified sampling method based on gender. Data were collected using three standardized questionnaires: the Empowerment Scale by Thomas and Velthouse (1996), the Organizational Ambidexterity Scale by Jansen (2006), and the Entrepreneurship Scale by Robbins and Coulter (2004). Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were 0.87, 0.85, and 0.93, respectively, confirming internal reliability. Data were analyzed using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) approach with Smart PLS software. Empowerment significantly affected entrepreneurship through the mediating role of organizational ambidexterity. Empowerment had a positive and significant direct effect on entrepreneurship (β = 0.617, t = 6.219) and organizational ambidexterity (β = 0.910, t = 59.165). Organizational ambidexterity also had a positive and significant effect on entrepreneurship (β = 0.336, t = 3.291). The Variance Accounted For (VAF = 0.73) indicated a partial mediation effect, confirming that empowerment enhances entrepreneurship through organizational ambidexterity. The findings suggest that empowered teachers are more capable of developing entrepreneurial behaviors through organizational ambidexterity. Empowerment enhances creativity, innovation, flexibility, and problem-solving, which in turn strengthen entrepreneurial initiatives within the educational system. Therefore, fostering teacher empowerment and organizational ambidexterity is essential to achieving a dynamic, innovative, and adaptive educational environment.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Seyedeh Meraj Azimi Amraee (Author); Fatemeh Soghra Sina (Corresponding author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
