When Organisational Leadership Embraces Authenticity: An Inquiry into the Resulting Effects on Staff Commitment

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was twofold; first was to find out what factors underlie leadership authenticity, and second was to explain the resulting effect of authenticity behaviours on the commitment of staff within public hospitals which are typical service organisations. The paper shows that Leaders’ Authenticity can be operationally studied in terms of integrity, Humility and Servant-hood behaviours of leadership. The study also reveals that after controlling for other salient leadership behaviours, a unit increase in the leaders’ authenticity behaviour, accounts for a 0.295 change in staff commitment. The study generates implications for practice and furtherance of research.

Keywords: leadership authenticity, integrity, Humility, Servant-hood, commitment