Abstract
Authentic Leadership (AL) literature supports the existence of a positive relationship between perceived AL, follower work engagement, and positive attitudes like calling. Our research doesn’t confirm that relationship and fosters the possibility of AL influence could not be felt by employees. It was also expected, theoretically, a positive effect of Calling as well as with trust. We have found a significant negative effect on the relationship between AL and calling. But our findings brought some positive insights. There was a positive significant relationship between calling and work engagement. Calling had also moderated, with a positive significant result, the relationship between AL and work engagement. Future research should focus on the importance of perceived AL within the education public services, and the significant effect of calling on work engagement. Our study suggests that organizations could promote employee calling work orientation, stimulate leaders to become more authentic, and improve positively organization performance.
Highlights
People need to believe and trust their leaders more than ever
We studied the positive relationship between Calling and Work Engagement
Step 1 shows that the controlling variables have significant statistical influence on work engagement (ΔR2 = .10, p < .001)
Summary
People need to believe and trust their leaders more than ever. The authenticity of the leader in exercising his/her positive qualities of character will be the beacon that help people to face the growing complexity and trust deficit that storms the present day. From the bankruptcy of several global firms (Enron, Northern Rock, Lehman Brothers) and the noticeable lack of honesty on the part of their leaders, a new focus of interest in the study of leadership has emerged that in turn has led both researchers and professionals in management towards the renamed “authentic leadership” (AL). Leaders often underestimate the challenge of engaging employees but it is becoming increasingly important, given that disengaged employees represent a high cost to the organizations (Avery, McKay, & Wilson, 2007). Employee engagement has a direct effect on performance (Harrison, Newman, & Roth, 2006)
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