Authentic Leadership and Meaningfulness at Work: Role of Employees’ CSR Perceptions and Evaluations

Abstract

This study aims to examine whether, how and when managers’ engagement in authentic leadership shapes followers’ perceptions of meaningfulness at work. Using authentic leadership theory, we posit that authentic leadership leads to more favorable perceptions of CSR resulting in experienced meaningfulness at work. In addition to studying authentic leadership as a driver of CSR perceptions and hence, meaningfulness, we also examine if followers’ attributions of self-centered motives to organizational engagement in CSR moderates the above relationship. Data collected from 368 employees in Indian IT industry supported the hypothesized moderated mediation model and reveals that attributions of self-centered motives undermine the positive effect of authentic leadership on CSR perceptions and subsequently, meaningfulness. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.