Trust, performance and level of happiness of healthcare employees in the presence of authentic leadership

BACKGROUND: Authentic leadership (AL) is an interesting topic in the organizational behavior literature that has attracted the attention of researchers since the last decade. OBJECTIVES: This research examines the employee-centered aspect among AL, trust, happiness at work and individual performance through a sequential mediating approach. METHOD: Data was collected from 435 healthcare professionals working in various hospitals in Pakistan. AL-independent variables were measured and the trust mediating variables were assessed through a questionnaire. The level of happiness at work and IP-dependent variables were measured through a survey. RESULTS: The results revealed a significant and positive effect of AL on the individual performance that is connected both directly and indirectly through mediating effects of trust and happiness at work. Furthermore, the results showed that AL created a trustworthy atmosphere among the workers that enhanced employee’s happiness at work and, subsequently, improved their job performance and motivation. CONCLUSION: This research delivers new and important results as, one the one hand, it depends on the sequential mediating effects of constructs whereas, on the other hand, it integrates four important variables in one model. Theoretical and practical implications along with future recommendations were presented for organizational management.