Authentic leadership, happiness at work and affective commitment

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the relationship between perceptions of authentic leadership (AL) and affective commitment (AC) both directly and indirectly through the mediating effect of happiness at work. Design/methodology/approach Empirical research has analyzed the data from a questionnaire administered to a sample of five hundred forty-three employees belonging to various public and private organizations in Cape Verde. Structural Equation Modeling was used to test the model. Findings It was found that the perceptions of AL explain employees' happiness at work. Perceptions of AL also predict AC both directly and through the mediating effect of happiness at work. Practical implications The findings suggest that AL predicts happiness at work, which in turn, explain employees` emotional bond to the organization. These results provide evidence that the quality of working environment created by leaders plays an important role in the extent to which employees develop better emotional bond at work. So, the organizations, particularly in Cape Verde should focus on training leaders with authentic characteristics. Originality/value In addition to verifying the direct relationship between AL and AC, this study introduced the mediating effect of the happiness at work, providing a model that depicts the chain effect between AL, AC and happiness, integrating these concepts in a single study.

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