The findings from the present study support Kanters
(1977, 1993) assertions that the structure of ones work
environment can play an important role in shaping the
behaviours, attitudes and perceptions of organizational
members. In the present study, structural empowerment,
psychological empowerment and workplace
incivility were important predictors of affective commitment
in newly-graduated nurses.
New graduates in this study perceived the greatest
access to opportunity. This is not surprising considering
novice nurses often receive a great deal of orientation,
preceptorship and the chance to gain new skills as they
begin their careers. New graduates felt the least access
to support and formal power. This is concerning given
the critical need for support of novice employees, particularly
given that the transition from student to professional
status has been linked with low self-esteem
and decreased confidence (Ross & Clifford 2002).
According to Beecroft et al. (2008), seeking social
support as a means of coping with the transition from
student to professional is highly related to turnover intent.
Given the growing complexity of the acute care
setting, paired with the often isolated autonomy of a
nurses role, however, providing such support is often
difficult. With respect to formal power, decreased perceptions
of this source of power may reflect the novice
nurses lower position within the health care systems
bureaucratic structure (Cho et al. 2006). Given that
formal power often requires a certain degree of expertise,
however, increasing this source of power in the
newly-graduated nurse may be somewhat premature.
The majority of participants in the present study
experienced some degree of uncivil behaviour, with
incivility from co-workers perceived as greater than that
of supervisors. According to Boychuk-Duchscher and
Cowin (2004), the divergent personal characteristics
and approaches to work of todays multigenerational
nursing workforce may partly explain the increased
existence of co-worker incivility in the health care setting.
Incompatible generational values, work ethics and