Garazi Azanza1, Juan A. Moriano2, Fernando Molero2 & Jean Pierre Lévy-Mangin3
University of Deusto1
Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED)2
Université du Québec en Outaouais3
.
THE EFFECTS OF AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP ON TURNOVER
INTENTION: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF WORK-GROUP
IDENTIFICATION AND WORK ENGAGEMENT
To examine the relationship between employees'
perception of authentic leadership and their turnover
intention, and the underlying processes by which
authentic leaders exert their influence on turnover
intention by analyzing the mediating role of work-
group identification (WID) and work
engagement
Purpose
Positive
Psychological
Capacities
Positive
Organizational
Context
Self-awareness Self-regulation
behaviors
Trigger events/
Challenges
Confidence
Hope
Optimism
Resiliency
Highly
developed
organization
Authentic Leadership
Confident
Hopeful
Optimistic
Resilent
Transparent
Moral/Ethical
Future-Oriented
Associate Building
Positive Self-Development
Adapted from Avolio and Luthans (2003)
Authentic Leadership Development Model
Components of authentic
leadership development theory
Transformationa
l leadership
Charismati
c leadership
Servant
leadership
Positive psychological capital * * *
Positive moral perspective P P P
Leader self-awareness
Values P P P
Cognitions P P P
Emotions P P P
Leader self-regulation
Internalized P P P
Balanced processing P
Relational transparency P
Authentic behavior * * P
Leadership processes/behaviors
Positive modeling P P P
Personal and social
identification
P P P
Emotional contagion
Supporting self-
determination
P P P
Positive social exchanges P * *
Follower self-awareness
Values P P P
Cognitions P P P
Emotions P P P
Follower self-regulation
Internalized P P P
Balanced processing P
Relational transparency * * *
Authentic behavior * * *
Follower development P
Organizational context
Uncertainty P P
Inclusion P P
Ethical P
Positive, strengths-based *
Performance
Veritable
Sustained P P
Beyond expectations P P
Note. P = Focal component; * = Discussed.
Adapted from Avolio and Gardner (2005, p. 323).
Components of authentic leadership
development theory Transformational
leadership Charismatic
leadership Servant
leadership
Positive psychological capital * * *
Positive moral perspective P P P
Leader self-awareness P P P
Leader self-regulation P P P
Leadership processes/behaviors
Positive modeling P P P
Personal and social identification P P P
Emotional contagion
Supporting self-determination P P P
Positive social exchanges P * *
Follower self-awareness P P P
Follower self-regulation P P P
Follower development P
Organizational context
Uncertainty P P
Inclusion P P
Ethical P
Positive, strengths-based *
Performance
Veritable
Sustained P P
Beyond expectations P P Note. P = Focal component; * = Discussed.
Authentic Leadership vs. other positive forms of leadership
Authentic leadership
Self-awareness
Relational transparency
Balanced processing
Internal moral perspective
(Walumbwa, Avolio, Gardner, Wernsing, & Peterson , 2008)
Components of Authentic Leadership
Given the costs of turnover it should be strategically managed.
Leadership style could be an effective tool to retain key employees.
• Employee turnover linked to ineffective leadership (Abbasi & Hollman, 2000)
• High quality leader-follower relationship: leaving the organization entails psychological
loss, making withdrawal costly (Mossholder, Settoon, & Henagan, 2005).
Turnover intention
Authentic leaders elicit positive emotions and a
sense of identification with the organization
among employees, which results in positive
follower attitudes and behaviors (Avolio et al., 2004).
The perception of oneness with or belongingness to the work-group
or organization (Ashforth & Mael, 1989).
Members that identify with an organization may be more likely to
remain with the organization and to expend effort on behalf of the
organization (Dutton, Dukerich, & Harquail, 1994).
Negative relationship between organizational and work-group
identification and turnover intentions (Cole & Bruch, 2006; O’Reilly & Chatman, 1986; Van
Knippenberg & Van Schie, 2000).
Work-group Identification (WID)
Literature about the relationship between authentic leadership and WID is
scarce and not conclusive.
Theoretical support to maintain that one of the main missions of the leader is
to build a positive group identity among the members of the group (e.g.,
Haslam, Reicher, & Platow, 2011).
High correlations between transformational leadership and WID (Epitropaki &
Martin, 2005; Moriano, Topa, & Lévy Mangin, 2009).
Authentic leaders may foster employees’ WID, which, in turn, may reduce
employees’ turnover intention.
Work-group Identification (WID)
“A positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterized by
vigor, dedication, and absorption” (Schaufeli, Salanova, González-Romá, & Bakker, 2002, p. 74).
Significant relationships with employee’s intention to remain in the
company (Harter, Schmidt, & Killham, 2003; Koyuncu, Burke, & Fiksenbaum, 2006; Saks, 2006; Schaufeli & Bakker, 2004).
Positive relationship between authentic leadership and followers’ work
engagement (e.g., Giallonardo et al., 2010; Walumbwa et al., 2010).
Authentic leadership may increase employee’s work engagement, which in
turn will decrease employees’ turnover intentions.
Work-Engagement
-
H1 +
+
H7
+ - H2
H6
H5
H3
Authentic
Leadership
Work
Engagement
Turnover
Intention
Work-group
Identification
-
H4: The relationship between AL and turnover intention will be mediated by work-group identification.
H8: The relationship between AL and turnover intention will be mediated by work engagement.
Sample
623 employees from 120 public and private Spanish organizations.
Gender: 56.6% women
Age: 38.17 years old (SD = 9.80)
Organizational tenure: 8.71 years (SD = 9.7)
Education: college (55.1%) or a vocational training degree (14.9%)
Procedure
Employees belonging to working groups with the same leader were asked to complete
a questionnaire by student research assistants.
Method
Questionnaire
Authentic leadership: Spanish adaptation (Moriano, Molero & Lévy Mangin, 2011) of the 16-
item ALQ (Walumbwa et al., 2008).
Work-group identification: Spanish version of Mael and Ashforth’s (1992) six-item
scale. The items were modified to measure participants’ identification with their
own work-group instead of identification with the whole organization.
Work engagement: the Spanish short version of the Utrecht Work Engagement
Scale (UWES-9; Schaufeli, Bakker, & Salanova, 2006).
Turnover intentions: A 3-item adaptation of the instrument developed by Meyer,
Allen and Smith (1993).
Demographic data: Age, sex, organizational tenure, education, job and sector of
activity.
Method
Constructs Mean SD 1 2 3 4
1. Authentic Leadership 3.16 0.90 .90
2. Work-group Identification 5.13 1.15 .36** .73
3. Work Engagement 4.73 1.38 .54** .57** .93
4. Turnover Intention 3.20 1.64 -.29** -.24** -.40** .83
Note. Diagonal elements are the square root of AVE (Average Variance Extracted) between the constructs and their
indicators. For discriminant validity, diagonal elements should be greater than off-diagonal elements in the same row
and column; ** p < .01.
Means, standard deviations, correlations, and discriminant validity
Results
lt
.11
-.04 (ns)
-.08 (ns)
.48
-.28**
.12
.33** .44**
.40**
Authentic
Leadership
Work
Engagement
Turnover
Intention
Work-group
Identification
Model χ2(df) p RMSEA GFI CFI
M1: Direct effects of authentic leadership (no mediation) 92.23 (13) < .001 .09 .96 .96
M2: Effects mediated only by WID 305.16 (86) < .001 .06 .93 .95
M3: Effects mediated by WID and work engagement 766.76 (242) < .001 .05 .91 .95
Fit indices for the three alternative models explaining turnover intention
Standardized estimations for the proposed model (** p < .01)
Results
This study is relevant for a better understanding of the processes
through which authentic leadership influences employee’s behaviors.
Work engagement seems to be the key for retaining employees.
Especially relevant to maintain motivation and performance of
employees in the present economic crisis.
Discussion
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