Research shows authentic leadership has positive effect on performance and commitment in Iranian tourist sector

Abstract

Purpose

The goal was to try to find out if workers in Iranian tourist agencies benefited from the authentic leadership (AL) of their bosses

Design/methodology/approach

The authors tested out four hypotheses on 216 employees of tourism agencies in the Guilan Province of Iran using a 19-item survey. Out of the 216 questionnaires sent out, they received back 173 valid responses. All four hypotheses were confirmed by the results.

Findings

The data suggested that authentic leadership (AL) has a significant effect on both employee performance (EP) and organizational commitment (OC). The authors said the results suggested that managers could promote OC, and therefore EP, by adopting an AL style.

Originality/value

The authors felt their study contributed to research by demonstrating the mediating role of OC in connecting AL to EP. It was also the first study to explore these relationships in the tourism industry in Iran, a significant part of the country's economy.

Citation

(2020), "Research shows authentic leadership has positive effect on performance and commitment in Iranian tourist sector", Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 28 No. 3, pp. 47-48. https://doi.org/10.1108/HRMID-12-2019-0285