Do We See Authentic Leadership the Same Way? A Multilevel Study of Leader–Follower Perceptions and Follower Commitment and Well-Being
References
- Almutairi, M., Timmins, F., Yoder-Wise, P., Stokes, D., & Alharbi, T. A. F. (2025). Authentic leadership – a concept analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 81(4), 1775–1793. 10.1111/jan.16496
- Alok, K. (2014). Authentic leadership and psychological ownership: Investigation of interrelations. Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 35(4), 266–285. 10.1108/LODJ-06-2012-0080
- Alvesson, M., & Einola, K. (2019). Warning for excessive positivity: Authentic leadership and other traps in leadership studies. The Leadership Quarterly, 30(4), 383–395. 10.1016/j.leaqua.2019.04.001
- Avolio, B. J., & Luthans, F. (2005). The high-impact leader: Authentic, resilient leadership that gets results and sustains growth. McGraw-Hill.
- Azanza, G., Gorgievski, M. J., Moriano, J. A., & Molero, F. (2018). Influencing salespeople’s work outcomes through authentic leadership. Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 39(7), 926–944. 10.1108/LODJ-05-2017-0113
- Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2007). The job demands-resources model: State of the art. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 22(3), 309–328. 10.1108/02683940710733115
- Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2017). Job demands–resources theory: Taking stock and looking forward. Journal of occupational health psychology, 22(3), 273–285. 10.1037/ocp0000056
- Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., & Euwema, M. C. (2005). Job resources buffer the impact of job demands on burnout. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 10(2), 170–180. 10.1037/1076-8998.10.2.170
- Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., & Sanz-Vergel, A. (2023). Job demands–resources theory: Ten years later. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 10(1), 25–53. 10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-120920-053933
- Baron, L., & Parent, É. (2015). Developing authentic leadership within a training context: Three phenomena supporting the individual development process. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 22(1), 37–53. 10.1177/1548051813519501
- Bunjak, A., Lord, R. G., & Acton, B. P. (2024). Rethinking authentic leadership: An alternative approach based on dynamic processes of active identity, self-regulation, and ironic processes of mental control. Journal of Management & Organization, 30(6), 1669–1698. 10.1017/jmo.2024.69
- Chan, A. W. L., Hannah, S. T., & Gardner, W. L. (2005).
Veritable authentic leadership: Emergence, functioning, and impact . In W. L. Gardner, B. J. Avolio, & F. O. Walumbwa (Eds.), Authentic leadership theory and practice: Origins, effects and development (pp. 3–41). Elsevier. - Chan, S. C. H., & Mak, W.-M. (2014). The impact of servant leadership and subordinates’ organizational tenure on trust in leader and attitudes. Personnel Review, 43(2), 272–287. 10.1108/PR-08-2011-0125
- Černe, M., Dimovski, V., Marič, M., Penger, S., & Škerlavaj, M. (2014). Congruence of leader self-perceptions and follower perceptions of authentic leadership: Understanding what authentic leadership is and how it enhances employees’ job satisfaction. Australian Journal of Management, 39(3), 453–471. 10.1177/0312896213503665
- Dulebohn, J. H., Bommer, W. H., Liden, R. C., Brouer, R. L., & Ferris, G. R. (2012). A meta-analysis of antecedents and consequences of leader–member exchange: Integrating the past with an eye toward the future. Journal of Management, 38(6), 1715–1759. 10.1177/0149206311415280
- Erjansola, A.-M. (2024). Nordic Leadership in the Age of Transitions: Trust, Fairness, and Procedural Justice. Aalto Executive Education.
https://www.aaltoee.fi/en/aalto-leaders-insight/2024/nordic-leadership-in-the-age-of-transitions-trust-fairness-and-procedural-justice - Eurofound (2023).
Living and working in Europe 2022 . Publications Office of the European Union. Luxembourg.https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/en/publications/2023/living-and-working-europe-2022 - Feldt, T., Hyvönen, K., & Oja-Lipasti, T. (2012). Do work ability and job involvement channel later personal goals in retirement? An 11-year follow-up study. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 85, 547–558. 10.1007/s00420-011-0705-9
- Feldt, T., Rantanen, J., Hyvönen, K., Mäkikangas, A., Huhtala, M., Pihlajasaari, P., & Kinnunen, U. (2014). The 9-item Bergen Burnout Inventory: Factorial validity across organizations and measurements of longitudinal data. Industrial Health, 52(2), 102–112. 10.2486/indhealth.2013-0059
- Fleenor, J. W., Smither, J. W., Atwater, L. E., Braddy, P. W., & Sturm, R. E. (2010). Self–other rating agreement in leadership: A review. The Leadership Quarterly, 21(6), 1005–1034. 10.1016/j.leaqua.2010.10.006
- Gardner, W. L., Avolio, B. J., Luthans, F., May, D. R., & Walumbwa, F. (2005). Can you see the real me? A self-based model of authentic leader and follower development. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(3), 343–372. 10.1016/j.leaqua.2005.03.003
- Gardner, W. L., Cogliser, C. C., Davis, K. M., & Dickens, M. P. (2011). Authentic leadership: A review of the literature and research agenda. The Leadership Quarterly, 22(6), 1120–1145. 10.1016/j.leaqua.2011.09.007
- Gardner, W. L., Karam, E. P., Alvesson, M., & Einola, K. (2021). Authentic leadership theory: The case for and against. The Leadership Quarterly, 32(6),
101495 . 10.1016/j.leaqua.2021.101495 - Gardner, W. L., Karam, E. P., et al. (2024). Let’s get real”… when we lead: A systematic review and agenda for authentic leadership theory and research. Journal of Management & Organization, 30(6), 1642–1668. 10.1017/jmo.2024.68
- Gibson, C. B., Cooper, C. D., & Conger, J. A. (2009). Do you see what we see? The complex effects of perceptual distance between leaders and teams. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94(1),
62 . 10.1037/a0013073 - Haltia, P., Hanike, T., Kyrkkö, K., Lyly-Yrjänäinen, M., Närhinen, A., Orsila, R., Ranki, S., Varje, P., & Ylikännö, M. (2024). Snapshots of working life – Opportunities for productivity growth lie in well-being at work and competence: WORK2030 Programme. Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.
https://www.julkari.fi/handle/10024/149164 - Howell, J. M., & Shamir, B. (2005). The role of followers in the charismatic leadership process: Relationships and their consequences. Academy of Management Review, 30(1), 96–112. 10.5465/amr.2005.15281435
- Hsieh, C.-C., & Wang, D.-S. (2015). Does supervisor-perceived authentic leadership influence employee work engagement through employee-perceived authentic leadership and employee trust? The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 26(18), 2329–2348. 10.1080/09585192.2015.1025234
- Ilies, R., Morgeson, F. P., & Nahrgang, J. D. (2005). Authentic leadership and eudaemonic well-being: Understanding leader-follower outcomes. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(3), 373–394. 10.1016/j.leaqua.2005.03.002
- Kanungo, R. N. (1982). Measurement of job and work involvement. Journal of Applied Psychology, 67(3), 341–349. 10.1037/0021-9010.67.3.341
- Kernis, M. H. (2003). Toward a conceptualization of optimal self-esteem. Psychological Inquiry, 14(1), 1–26. 10.1207/S15327965PLI1401_01
- Kets de Vries, M. F., & Korotov, K. (2007). Creating transformational executive education programs. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 6(3), 375–387. 10.5465/amle.2007.26361627
- Kim, M. (2018). The effects of authentic leadership on employees’ well-being and the role of relational cohesion. InTech. 10.5772/intechopen.76427
- Kinnunen, U., Feldt, T., & Mäkikangas, A. (2008). Testing the effort-reward imbalance model among Finnish managers: The role of perceived organizational support. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 13(2), 114–127. 10.1037/1076-8998.13.2.114
- Kipfelsberger, P., Raes, A., Herhausen, D., Kark, R., & Bruch, H. (2022). Start with why: The transfer of work meaningfulness from leaders to followers and the role of dyadic tenure. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 43(8), 1287–1309. 10.1002/job.2649
- Laschinger, H. K. S., & Fida, R. (2014). A time-lagged analysis of the effect of authentic leadership on workplace bullying, burnout, and occupational turnover intentions. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 23(5), 739–753. 10.1080/1359432X.2013.804646
- Laschinger, H. K. S., Wong, C. A., & Grau, A. L. (2012). The influence of authentic leadership on newly graduated nurses’ experiences of workplace bullying, burnout, and retention outcomes: A cross-sectional study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 49(10), 1266–1276. 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2012.05.012
- Lee, A., Lyubovnikova, J., Tian, A. W., & Knight, C. (2020). Servant leadership: A meta-analytic examination of incremental contribution, moderation, and mediation. Journal of Occupational Organizational Psychology, 93, 1–44. 10.1111/joop.12265
- Lemoine, G., Hartnell, C., & Effinger, A. (2024).
Morality and leadership in organizations . In D. D. Bergh (Ed.), Oxford research encyclopedia of business and management. Oxford Academic. 10.1093/acrefore/9780190224851.013.470 - Liu, S., Chu, F., Guo, M., & Liu, Y. (2021). Authentic leadership, person-organization fit and collectivistic orientation: a moderated-mediated model of workplace safety. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 42(8), 1295–1310. 10.1108/LODJ-03-2020-0080
- Loeb, C., von Thiele Schwarz, U., Hasson, H., & Tafvelin, S. (2022). Congruence rules! Increased self-efficacy after occupational health interventions – if leaders and teams agree on the participative safety climate. Scandinavian Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 7(1),
8 . 10.16993/sjwop.153 - Long, T. (2020). Effect of authentic leadership on newly qualified nurses: A scoping review. Nursing Management, 27(3), 28–34. 10.7748/nm.2020.e1901
- Luthans, F., & Avolio, B. J. (2003).
Authentic leadership: A positive developmental approach . In K. S. Cameron, J. E. Dutton, & R. E. Quinn (Eds.), Positive organizational scholarship (pp. 241–261). Barrett-Koehler. - Macamo, A. I., & Klasmeier, K. N. (2024). Authentic leadership – for better and for worse? Leader well-being and inconsistency as moderating factors in the relation between daily authentic leadership and follower well-being. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 33(5), 632–642. 10.1080/1359432X.2024.2361511
- MacCallum, R. C., Browne, M. W., & Cai, L. (2006). Testing differences between nested covariance structure models: Power analysis and null hypotheses. Psychological Methods, 11(1), 19–35. 10.1037/1082-989X.11.1.19
- Malloy, E., Yukhymenko-Lescroart, M. A., & Kavussanu, M. (2023). Investigating the relationship between authentic leadership and athletes’ commitment, positive affect, and perceived teammate prosocial behaviour via trust and team culture. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 18(4), 1082–1090. 10.1177/17479541221139280
- Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W. B., & Leiter, M. P. (2001). Job burnout. Annual Review of Psychology, 52(1), 397–422. 10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.397
- McNeish, D., & Wolf, M. G. (2020). Thinking twice about sum scores. Behavior Research Methods, 52(6), 2287–2305. 10.3758/s13428-020-01398-0
- Men, L. R., & Stacks, D. (2014). The effects of authentic leadership on strategic internal communication and employee-organization relationships. Journal of Public Relations Research, 26(4), 301–324. 10.1080/1062726X.2014.908720
- Meskelis, S., & Whittington, J. L. (2020). Driving employee engagement: How personality trait and leadership style impact the process. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 35(10), 1457–1473. 10.1108/JBIM-11-2019-0477
- Mossholder, K., Niebuhr, R., & Norris, D. (1990). Effects of dyadic duration on the relationship between leader behavior perceptions and follower outcomes. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 11(5), 379–388. 10.1002/job.4030110505
- Muthén, B., & Muthén, L. (2017).
Mplus . In Handbook of item response theory (pp. 507–518). Chapman and Hall/CRC. - Muthén, B. O. (2002). Beyond SEM: General latent variable modeling. Behaviormetrika, 29, 81–117. 10.2333/bhmk.29.81
- Neider, L. L., & Schriesheim, C. A. (2011). The Authentic Leadership Inventory (ALI): Development and empirical tests. The Leadership Quarterly, 22(6), 1146–1164. 10.1016/j.leaqua.2011.09.008
- Pattali, S., Sankar, J. P., Al Qahtani, H., Menon, N., & Faizal, S. (2024). Effect of leadership styles on turnover intention among staff nurses in private hospitals: The moderating effect of perceived organizational support. BMC Health Services Research, 24(1),
199 . 10.1186/s12913-024-10674-0 - Pulido-Martos, M., Cortés-Denia, D., Luque-Reca, O., & López-Zafra, E. (2023). Authentic leadership and personal and job demands/resources: A person-centered approach and links with work-related subjective well-being. Current Psychology, 42(33), 28994–29011. 10.1007/s12144-022-03938-7
- Rego, A., Sousa, F., Marques, C., & Cunha, M. P. (2012). Authentic leadership promoting employees’ psychological capital and creativity. Journal of Business Research, 65(3), 429–437. 10.1016/j.jbusres.2011.10.003.
- Salmela-Aro, K., Rantanen, J., Hyvönen, K., Tilleman, K., & Feldt, T. (2011). Bergen burnout inventory: Reliability and validity among Finnish and Estonian managers. International Archives of Occupational Environment Health, 84, 635–645. 10.1007/s00420-010-0594-3
- Schaufeli, W. B., Bakker, A. B., & Salanova, M. (2006). The measurement of work engagement with a short questionnaire: A cross-national study. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 66(4), 701–716. 10.1177/0013164405282471
- Schaufeli, W. B., Shimazu, A., Hakanen, J., Salanova, M., & De Witte, H. (2019). An ultra-short measure for work engagement: The UWES-3 validation across five countries. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 35(4), 577–591. 10.1027/1015-5759/a000430
- Seppälä, P., Mauno, S., Feldt, T., Hakanen, J., Kinnunen, U., Tolvanen, A., & Schaufeli, W. (2009). The construct validity of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale: Multisample and longitudinal evidence. Journal of Happiness Studies, 10, 459–481. 10.1007/s10902-008-9100-y
- Singh, S., Subramani, A. K., David, R., & Jan, N. A. (2024). Workplace ostracism influencing turnover intentions: Moderating roles of perceptions of organizational virtuousness and authentic leadership. Acta Psychologica 243,
104136 . 10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104136 - Shamir, B. (2011). Leadership takes time: Some implications of (not) taking time seriously in leadership research. The Leadership Quarterly, 22(2), 307–315. 10.1016/j.leaqua.2011.02.006
- Sousa-Poza, A., & Henneberger, F. (2004). Analyzing job mobility with job turnover intentions: An international comparative study. Journal of Economic Issues, 38(1), 113–137. 10.1080/00213624.2004.11506667
- Steffens, N. K., Haslam, S. A., Reicher, S. D., & Platow, M. J. (2021b). Identity leadership, social identity continuity, and well-being at work during COVID-19. European Journal of Social Psychology, 51(5), 719–733. 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.684475
- Steffens, N. K., Wolyniec, N., Okimoto, T. G., Mols, F., Haslam, S. A., & Kay, A. A. (2021a). Knowing me, knowing us: Personal and collective self-awareness enhances authentic leadership and leader endorsement. The Leadership Quarterly, 32(6),
101498 . 10.1016/j.leaqua.2021.101498 - Tang, Y., Jia, R., Long, L., Ren, Z., & Pu, X. (2022). The double-edged sword of employee authenticity in coworker interactions: The moderating role of relationship duration. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 54(5), 529–548. 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2022.00529
- Walumbwa, F. O., Avolio, B. J., Gardner, W. L., Wernsing, T. S., & Peterson, S. J. (2008). Authentic leadership: Development and validation of a theory-based measure. Journal of Management, 34, 89–126. 10.1177/0149206307308913
- Winton, B. G., Whittington, J. L., & Meskelis, S. (2022). Authentic leadership: Making meaning and building engagement. European Business Review, 34(5), 689–705. 10.1108/EBR-01-2022-0020
- Wubetie, A., Taye, B., & Girma, B. (2020). Magnitude of turnover intention and associated factors among nurses working in emergency departments of governmental hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A cross-sectional institutional-based study. BMC Nursing, 19, Article
97 . 10.1186/s12912-020-00490-2 - Xanthopoulou, D., Bakker, A. B., Dollard, M. F., Demerouti, E., Schaufeli, W. B., Taris, T. W., & Schreurs, P. J. G. (2007). When do job demands particularly predict burnout? The moderating role of job resources. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 22(8), 766–786. 10.1108/02683940710837714
- Yammarino, F. J., Spangler, W. D., & Dubinsky, A. J. (1998). Transformational and contingent reward leadership: Individual, dyad, and group levels of analysis. The Leadership Quarterly, 9(1), 27–54. 10.1016/S1048-9843(98)90041-8
- Zhang, J., Song, L. J., Ni, D., & Zheng, X. (2020). Follower mindfulness and well-being: The mediating role of perceived authentic leadership and the moderating role of leader mindfulness. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, Article
879 . 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00879 - Zhang, Y., Guo, Y., Zhang, M., Xu, S., Liu, X., & Newman, A. (2021). Antecedents and outcomes of authentic leadership across culture: A meta-analytic review. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 39, 1399–1435. 10.1007/s10490-021-09762-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.16993/sjwop.449 | Journal eISSN: 2002-2867
Language: English
Page range: 11 - 11
Submitted on: Aug 28, 2025
Accepted on: May 20, 2026
Published on: Jul 6, 2026
Published by: Stockholm University Press
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Keywords:
© 2026 Tarja Turtio-Annanolli, Taru Feldt, Mari Herttalampi, Joona Muotka, Mikael Nederström, published by Stockholm University Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.