Relationships among authentic leadership, manager incivility and trust in the manager

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to examine the relationships among authentic leadership of managers and new graduate nurses’ (NGNs) experience of manager incivility and their degree of trust in their managers.Design/methodology/approachA secondary analysis of data using a non-experimental, correlational design was undertaken. From 2012 to 2013, 3,743 surveys were mailed to NGNs eligible for the study, and 1,020 returned completed questionnaires for a response rate of 27.3 per cent. The hypotheses were tested using hierarchical multiple linear regression.FindingsAuthentic leadership had a negative relationship with manager incivility, which in turn was negatively related to trust in the manager, and overall the model accounted for 59.9 per cent of the variance in trust. Authentic leadership was positively associated with trust in the manager.Originality/valueFindings supported that authentic leadership may be an effective approach to enhance manager–nurse interactions because authentic managers are less likely to display uncivil behavior, which diminishes trust. Findings may be useful to inform the development of positive and respectful work environments and the everyday practice of nurse managers.