Authentic leadership and followers' in‐role and extra‐role performance: The mediating role of followers' learning goal orientation. Issue 4 (23rd July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mehmood, Qaiser; Hamstra, Melvyn R. W.; Nawab, Samina; Vriend, Tim
• Is Part Of: Journal of occupational and organizational psychology. Volume 89:Issue 4(2016:Dec.)
• Page Start: 877
• Page End: 883
• Publication Date: 2016-07-23
• Subjects: authentic leadership -- learning goal orientation -- in‐role performance -- extra‐role performance; Psychology, Industrial -- Periodicals; Psychology, Applied -- Periodicals; Personnel management -- Periodicals; 158.705
• DOI: 10.1111/joop.12153
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0963-1798

Abstract

Abstract : This study examined whether and why authentic leadership predicts followers' performance. We hypothesized that authentic leadership predicts followers' learning goal orientation (goal to develop and improve), which, in turn, predicts followers' in‐role and (civic virtue) extra‐role performance. A multilevel, multisource, time‐lagged study, conducted in telecommunications companies in Pakistan, among 115 supervisors and 345 reports supported indirect relations between authentic leadership and (1) follower in‐role and (2) extra‐role performance (civic virtue) mediated by followers' learning goal orientation. Practitioner points: Authentic leadership is considered to promote employees' developmental focus through authenticity on the part of the leader (e.g., being aware of one's strengths and weaknesses). We discuss and analyse authentic leadership as an approach that involves managers' modelling of a learning goal orientation to followers. Direct supervisors' authentic leadership was found to predict employees' in‐role and extra‐role (civic virtue) performance because it may model a focus on learning goals in followers. Hence, important organizational outcomes can be improved through authentic leadership.