Authentic Leaders for an Engaged and Satisfied Workforce: An Evidence from India

Purpose-Although there has been a considerable increase in studies undertaken on the issues and impact of authentic leadership, the limited focus has been given to such studies in Asia (in particular, India). The study inspects the influence that authentic leaders command on the engagement levels and job satisfaction of the Indian workforce. Design/Methodology/Approach-213 restaurant employees from north India were included in the study. Structured questionnaires were distributed, and hierarchical regression was administered for higher-order analysis of the data obtained. Findings-Results indicate a healthy and favorable relationship among the three variables authentic leadership style, job satisfaction, and employee engagement for the Indian restaurant employees. Implications-The findings of the current study will help Indian organizations enhance engagement levels and increase the employees' job satisfaction. Positivity in a leader may also affect the retention of talented workforce for an organization. Originality/Value-The study explores the possibility of authentic leadership in India. It explains the contribution of authentic leadership towards having an engaged workforce and towards enhancing their job satisfaction.