Authentic Leadership: Development and Validation of a Theory-Based Measure†

TLDR

The study aimed to develop and test a theory-based measure of authentic leadership. The measure was tested across five samples from China, Kenya, and the United States. Confirmatory factor analyses supported a higher‑order, multidimensional model of authentic leadership comprising self‑awareness, relational transparency, internalized moral perspective, and balanced processing, and structural equation modeling showed the measure predicted work‑related attitudes and behaviors beyond ethical and transformational leadership, with a positive link to supervisor‑rated performance.

Abstract

This study developed and tested a theory-based measure of authentic leadership using five separate samples obtained from China, Kenya, and the United States. Confirmatory factor analyses supported a higher order, multidimensional model of the authentic leadership construct (the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire [ALQ]) comprising leader self-awareness, relational transparency, internalized moral perspective, and balanced processing. Structural equation modeling (SEM) demonstrated the predictive validity for the ALQ measure for important work-related attitudes and behaviors, beyond what ethical and transformational leadership offered. Finally, results revealed a positive relationship between authentic leadership and supervisor-rated performance. Implications for research and practice are discussed.