The impact of authentic leadership on employees' organizational citizenship behavior in Ethiopia public service

Abstract

There has been an increased recognition that more attention needs to be paid to authentic leadership as it emphasizes positive psychological behavior. Organizational citizenship behavior is crucial in the public service, and there should be friendly leadership behavior that could enable public employees to engage in helping behavior. Research in this area is of great interest and with a very active research community. The problem has recently attracted more attention due to the increasing mismanagement, scandal, and corruption in various public organizations that have contributed to the demand for authentic leadership. Although public organizations were trying to introduce various leadership styles that can enhance service delivery, what and how leadership behavior contributes to employees' Organizational Citizenship behavior (OCB) in public service is not well elaborated. The respondents were leaders from 10 public service organizations. Empirical evidence revealed that leaders' authentic leadership behavior impacted employees' organizational citizenship behavior through self-awareness, sharing information, ethical practices, good relation with subordinates, mutual understanding, and transparency. The innovative results of the study revealed that political, cultural, and social aspects influence the leadership behavior of leaders in public service. This study concluded that authentic leaders play a great role in creating a positive relationship and promoting employees' citizenship behaviors. The implications and future research of the results were discussed based on the influence of authentic leadership on employees' OCB.

Keywords: {'name': 'Authentic leadership; OCB; Employees; Public service; Culture.'}

Authors & affiliations

Hailay Shifare
Affiliation not supplied

Fyory Abreha
Affiliation not supplied

Nancy Githaiga
Affiliation not supplied

Deposited references

Supplied references, not a list of publications citing this article.

Abdullahi, Z. J., Ma, Z., Tehzeeb, M., Ethel, A., & Elvis, A. (2017). Transformational Leadership and Organisational Citizenship Behaviour among Healthcare Professionals in Ethiopia: A Structural Equation Analysis. Canadian Journal of Applied Science and Technology, 5(2), 200–207.

DOI: 10.1080/23322373.2020.1779575

DOI: 10.1108/eb024700

Authors, F. (2015). International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management.

DOI: 10.1007/s10551-010-0610-2

DOI: 10.1016/j.leaqua.2005.03.001

DOI: 10.1016/j.leaqua.2004.09.003

DOI: 10.1146/annurev.psych.60.110707.163621

DOI: 10.1007/s10551-017-3472-z

DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2834.2012.01399.x

DOI: 10.5465/amr.2007.26585791

DOI: 10.1177/0149206308324325

DOI: 10.1037/0021-9010.90.4.740

DOI: 10.1002/job.635

DOI: 10.1111/1467-8551.12108

DOI: 10.1037/0021-9010.91.1.70

DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2005.03.002

DOI: 10.1016/j.leaqua.2015.05.008

DOI: 10.5465/amj.2009.43670894

DOI: 10.1177/00953990022019597

Creswell, J. W. (2013) Research Design. Qualitative, Quantitative, and mixed methods

approach (4th ed.).California: Sage Publications, Inc.

DOI: 10.1111/puar.13141

DOI: 10.1111/puar.13141

DOI: 10.5897/ERR2015.2617

Edú Valsania, S., Moriano León, J. A., Molero Alonso, F., & Topa Cantisano, G. (2012). Authentic leadership and its effect on employees’ organizational citizenship behaviors. Psicothema, 24(4), 561–566. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23079352

DOI: 10.1111/1467-8691.00100

DOI: 10.1108/AJEMS-06-2016-0092

DOI: 10.1016/j.leaqua.2018.07.004

DOI: 10.1287/orsc.1030.0051

Ferguson, J., Ronayne, P., & Rybacki, M. (2014). Public Sector Leadership Challenges Are They Different and Does It Matter?? Center for Creative Leadership, White Pape, 1–12. Retrieved from https://www.ccl.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/public-sector-leadership-challenges-center-for-creative-leadership.pdf

DOI: 10.1177/1742715011416894

DOI: 10.1108/ijoa.2006.34514aaa.001

DOI: 10.19044/esj.2016.v12n10p387

DOI: 10.5430/rwe.v12n2p258

DOI: 10.1142/S2377740019500064

DOI: 10.7176/PPAR

DOI: 10.3390/su10072170

DOI: 10.1177/1525822X05282260

DOI: 10.7903/cmr.17668

DOI: 10.1002/nur.21768

DOI: 10.1002/9781118766804.wbiect115

DOI: 10.1080/10967494.2015.1021497

DOI: 10.5465/amr.2011.0109

Kothari. (2004) Research Methodology; Methods and Techniques. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General (Second edit, Vol. 136). New Age International (P) Limited, Publishers 4835/24, Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi - 110002. ISBN (13): 978-81-224-2488-1

DOI: 10.1108/20400701011028130

Leadership, P. S. (2001). Public sector leadership for the 21. Leadership, 1–3.

DOI: 10.1037/apl0000346

DOI: 10.1037/0021-9010.87.1.52

DOI: 10.1111/more.12027

DOI: 10.1057/978-1-137-59121-0

DOI: 10.1016/j.orgdyn.2004.06.005

DOI: 10.1111/jasp.12762

DOI: 10.1177/1362168815572747

DOI: 10.1177/0149206309356326

DOI: 10.1080/23322373.2015.994419

DOI: 10.5465/19416520.2010.493286

Of, N. (2011). Jeremiah’s royal oracle: A contextual reading of 23:1-8 and 33:14-26 in the African leadership situation. Old Testament Essays, 24(1), 118–141.

DOI: 10.1177/0081246319891658

DOI: 10.1080/08995605.2019.1646078

DOI: 10.1007/s10551-011-1042-3

DOI: 10.1080/10130950.2019.1613057

DOI: 10.1080/2331186X.2018.1437670

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1721165115

DOI: 10.1016/j.leaqua.2012.08.002

DOI: 10.1007/s10551-014-2416-0

DOI: 10.1111/puar.13182

DOI: 10.1007/978-981-13-6074-9

DOI: 10.1177/0013161X13513898

DOI: 10.1097/CNQ.0b013e3181ab91db

DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-6486.2007.00699.x

DOI: 10.4102/sajhrm.v13i1.675

DOI: 10.1177/0734371X16658335

DOI: 10.1177/0018726703056001448

DOI: 10.1111/puar.12138

DOI: 10.1177/0149206307308913

DOI: 10.1002/smi.2973

DOI: 10.1007/s10551-014-2480-5

DOI: 10.1007/s10490-010-9237-1

DOI: 10.1016/j.leaqua.2011.07.003

DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6210.2010.02197.x

DOI: 10.1111/1744-7941.12203