PASSION FOR THE FARMING AND INNOVATION: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF WORK ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN PSYCHOLOGICAL EMPOWERMENT AND INNOVATIVE WORK BEHAVIOR

Abstract

Farmers must innovate to adapt to ongoing changes; however, many are becoming psychologically powerless, and farming is increasingly viewed as an unattractive profession among younger generations. This study examined the mediating role of work engagement between psychological empowerment and innovative work behavior among farmers, as well as differences in these variables between younger and older farmers. Data were collected from 403 participants using validated scales for the three variables. Analyses were conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.1.12 and the Mann–Whitney U test.