Authentic Leadership Extends beyond Work: Multilevel Model of Work-Family Conflict and Enrichment

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to analyze how authentic leadership contributes to spillover at the work-family interface. Drawing from theoretical perspectives of conservation of resources and work-home resources, we propose a multilevel model in which individual and team perceptions of authentic leadership are negatively related to followers’ work-family conflict (WFC) and positively related to followers’ work-family enrichment (WFE). The model further suggests that leaders’ work-family spillover moderates these relations. While decreased levels of leaders’ WFC should strengthen the negative relations of authentic leadership and followers’ WFC, increased levels of leaders’ WFE should strengthen its relations with followers’ WFE. We collected data from 33 leaders and 128 followers at two points of measurement. Hierarchical linear modeling results largely support the proposed direct effects. However, only leaders’ WFC reinforced the buffering effect of authentic leadership on followers’ WFC. Findings impl...