Authentic leadership, employees’ job satisfaction, and work engagement: a hierarchical linear modelling approach

摘要

The purpose of this study is to develop and test empirically a multilevel model of cross-level interactions between authentic leadership at the team level and job satisfaction and work engagement at the individual level. Using data from 23 team supervisors and 289 team members, the study also investigates the mediating role of perceived supervisor support in the proposed cross-level relationships. For validation of the measurement instrument, we first applied confirmatory factor analysis using LISREL 8.80 software. The hierarchical linear modelling analysis demonstrated a positive relationship between authentic leadership, employees’ job satisfaction, and work engagement. In addition, the relationship between authentic leadership and job satisfaction is fully mediated by perceived supervisor support, whereas we have also found support for partial mediation of perceived supervisor support in the relationship between authentic leadership and employees’ work engagement. A key originality and the theoretical and methodological contribution of this study lies in a multilevel approach that builds upon a sample of leaders and a number of their followers. We also address managerial implications and discuss future research suggestions.