THE EFFECT OF AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP ON WORK ENGAGEMENT IN MEXICO
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18623/rvd.v22.n2.3071Keywords:
Leadership, Authentic Leadership, Work Engagement, MexicoAbstract
This article examines the relationship between authentic leadership (AL) and work engagement (WE) in the Mexican context, addressing the growing demand for ethical and value-driven leadership within organizations. Employing a quantitative research design, the study investigates whether authentic leadership positively influences work engagement among two distinct populations: undergraduate students engaged in student leadership roles at the University of Monterrey and employees of a major cement company in Monterrey, Mexico. Data was collected using the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), with a combined total of 418 responses. Findings from Pearson correlation and hierarchical regression analyses reveal statistically significant and moderately strong positive relationships between AL and WE in both samples (students: r = .51, p < .001; employees: r = .515, p < .001). The results suggest that authentic leadership substantially enhances individuals' levels of vigor, dedication, and absorption in their work and organizational roles. This study contributes to the limited empirical literature on AL in Latin American settings and highlights the practical implications for leadership development and organizational effectiveness in culturally diverse environments.
References
Almutairi, M., Timmins, F., Wise, P. Y., Stokes, D., & Alharbi, T. A. F. (2025). Authentic leadership—A concept analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 81(4), 1775-1793.
Alok, K., & Israel, D. (2012). Authentic leadership and work engagement. The Indian Journal of Industrial Relations, 47: 498-510.
Arzuaga, S., Gandolfi, F., & Johnston, T. (2023). Quiet quitting: work affect in the post-pandemic workplace, Journal of European Economics Letters,13(5): 951-961.
Assi, H., Rayan, A., Eshah, N. F., Albashtawy, M., & Al-Ghabeesh, S. H. (2024). Nurse managers’ authentic leadership and their relationship with work engagement among registered nurses. In Nursing Forum (Vol. 2024, No. 1, p. 7523906). Hindawi.
Avolio, B. J., & Gardner, W. L. (2005). Authentic leadership development: Getting to the root of positive forms of leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 16: 315-338.
Avolio, B. J., Gardner, W. L., Walumbwa, F. O., Luthans, F., & May, D. R. (2004). Unlocking the mask: A look at the process by which authentic leadership impact follower attitudes and behaviors. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(6): 801-823.
Bamford, M., Wong, C. A., & Laschinger, H. (2013). The influence of authentic leadership and areas of worklife on work engagement of registered nurses. Journal of Nursing Management, 21: 529-540.
Baquero, A. (2023). Authentic leadership, employee work engagement, trust in the leader, and workplace well-being: A moderated mediation model. Psychology research and behavior management, 1403-1424.
Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. New York, NY: Harper & Row.
Gandolfi, F., & Stone, S. (2016). Clarifying leadership: High-impact leaders in a time of leadership crisis, Review of International Comparative Management, 17(3): 212-224.
George, B. (2003). Authentic leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
George, B., & Sims, P. (2007). True north: Discover your authentic leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
George, B., Sims, P., McLean, A. & Mayer, D. (2007). Discovering your authentic leadership. Harvard Business Review, February, 129-138.
Giallonardo, L. M., Wong, C. A., & Iwasiw, C. L. (2010). Authentic leadership of preceptors: Predictor of new graduate nurses’ work engagement and job satisfaction. Journal of Nursing Management, 18: 993-1003.
Kerlinger, F., & Lee, H. (2000). Foundations of behavioral research. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.
Leavy, B. (2023). Bill George: Guiding two decades of the authentic leadership movement. Strategy & Leadership, 51(3), 3-9.
Luthans, F., & Avolio, B. J. (2003). Authentic leadership development. Positive organizational scholarship, 241(258), 1-26.
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). San Francisco, CA: Barrett-Koehler.
Northouse, P. (2022). Leadership: Theory and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Oh, J., Cho, D., & Hun Lim, D. (2018). Authentic leadership and work engagement: the mediating effect of practicing core values. Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 39: 276-290.
Salcedo, J., Gandolfi, F. & Garza, A. (2023). Leadership: from authenticity to ownership. Journal of Management Research, 23(2): 100-104.
Salcedo, J., Briones, A., Gandolfi, F., Gutierrez, M., & Treviño, B. (2025). The effect of emotional intelligence on work engagement: Validation of the Emotional Intelligence Self-Instrument for Latin America. International Journal of Innovative Research and Scientific Studies, 8(2): 1321-1330.
Schaufeli, W. B., & Bakker, A. B. (2010). Defining and measuring work engagement: Bringing clarity to the concept. Work engagement: A handbook of essential theory and research, 12(2010), 10-24.
Schaufeli, W. B., & Bakker, A. B. (2003). UWES-Utrecht Work Engagement Scale: Test manual. Unpublished Manuscript. Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Valencia, SPA.
Schaufeli, W. B., & Bakker, A. B. (2004). Job demands, job resources, and their relationship with burnout and engagement: A multi-sample study. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25: 293-315.
Seligman, M. E. (2002). Authentic happiness: Using the new positive psychology to realize your potential for lasting fulfillment. New York, NY: Free Press.
Walumbwa, F., Avolio, B., Gardner, W., Wernsing, T., & Peterson, S. (2008). Authentic leadership: Development and validation of a theory-based measure. Journal of Management, 34: 89-126.
Winston, B., Fields, D., & Cabanda, E. (2010). Organizational leadership PhD: Qualitative methods. Virginia Beach, VA: McGraw Hill Create.
Wong, C. A., & Cummings, G. G. (2009). The influence of authentic leadership behaviors on trust and work outcomes of health care staff. Journal of Leadership Studies, 3: 6-23.
Wong, C. A., & Laschinger, H. K. (2012). Authentic leadership, performance, and job satisfaction: The mediating role of empowerment. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 947-959.
Wong, C. A., Laschinger, H. K., & Cummings, G. G. (2010). Authentic leadership and nurses voice behavior and perceptions of care quality. Journal of Nursing Management, 18: 889-900.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
I (we) submit this article which is original and unpublished, of my (our) own authorship, to the evaluation of the Veredas do Direito Journal, and agree that the related copyrights will become exclusive property of the Journal, being prohibited any partial or total copy in any other part or other printed or online communication vehicle dissociated from the Veredas do Direito Journal, without the necessary and prior authorization that should be requested in writing to Editor in Chief. I (we) also declare that there is no conflict of interest between the articles theme, the author (s) and enterprises, institutions or individuals.
I (we) recognize that the Veredas do Direito Journal is licensed under a CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE.
Licença Creative Commons Attribution 3.0



