Authentic Leadership: A Quantitative Study of the Effect of Authentic Leadership on Group Cohesion and Work Engagement in Student Organizations in Mexico

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop an empirical investigation and discover quantitative evidence for the relationship between authentic leadership, group cohesion, and work engagement.   Theoretical framework: Authentic leadership has caught researchers’ attention, and it has gained recognition and position within leadership studies. The authentic leadership construct includes four dimensions: (a) self-awareness, which refers to how leaders understand their strengths and weaknesses and the motives they exposure to others; (b) balance processing, which refers to how leaders analyze all relevant data before coming to a decision; (c) internalized moral perspective, which refers to how leaders make decisions based on values and high internal ethical standards; and (d) relational transparency, which refers to how leaders are open in presenting one’s true self to others.   Methods: Utilizing previously validated instruments, the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ; Walumbwa et al., 2008), the Perceived Cohesion Scale (PCS; Bollen & Hoyle, 1990), and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES; Schaufeli & Bakker, 2004). This study explored whether or not a relationship exists between authentic leadership behaviors of the leader (as perceived by the group members) and group cohesion and work engagement (as reported by the group members) within the Mexican context.   Results and conclusions: Using a sample of 226 participants who are members of student organizations (N = 226), it was clearly demonstrated that there is a positive relationship between the authentic leadership behaviors of the leader and the members’ group cohesion (r = .56, β = .54, p = .000) and that there is a positive relationship between the authentic leadership behaviors of the leader and the members’ work engagement (r = .54, β = .54, p = .000). The study’s findings demonstrate the need to advance the research of authentic leadership in Mexico and Latin America.   Findings implication: Authentic leadership’s predictive capacity it is still in the developmental phase. The study’s findings offer more evidence and new data to scholars in the leadership field that will help them better analyze the relationship that exists between authentic leadership, group cohesion, and work engagement.   Uniqueness/ value: This study represents one of the first investigations of authentic leadership in Mexico and Latin America, and it has some leadership implications within teams and small groups.