This study aimed to investigate how empowering leadership practices influence employee performance, with a particular focus on the mediating role of work engagement at Ethio-Telecom. Grounded in social exchange theory and self-determination theory, the research analyzed data collected from 214 sales representatives of Ethio-Telecom in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A quantitative research design was employed using a simple probability sampling method. Structural equation modeling (SEM) via AMOS was utilized to test the proposed hypotheses. The descriptive findings revealed a limited presence of empowering leadership behaviors and a notably low level of employee work engagement. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that empowering leadership has a significant and positive impact on both employee performance and work engagement. The bias-corrected bootstrapping analysis also indicated that work engagement partially mediates the relationship between empowering leadership and employee performance. The paper concludes with a discussion of theoretical and practical implications, study limitations, and directions for future research.
