Authentic leadership – an antecedent for contextual performance of Indian nurses
| Pages | 1244-1260 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-07-2016-0168 |
| Published date | 03 September 2018 |
| Date | 03 September 2018 |
| Author | Nishtha Malik |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour,Global HRM |
Authentic leadership –an
antecedent for contextual
performance of Indian nurses
Nishtha Malik
Department of Management, Quantum University, Haridwar, India
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between authentic leadership and
contextual performance of nursing staff while considering the mediating effect of psychological capital and
moderating effect of autonomy on this association.
Design/methodology/approach –Data were gathered from 41 small and medium-sized hospitals situated
in the state of Uttarakhand, India. The sample for the study included 530 nurses and their 146 supervisors.
Process macro (Hayes) was used to examine the influence of authentic leadership on contextual performance
and the mediating effect of psychological capital and moderating role of autonomy in the relationship
between authentic leadership and contextual performance.
Findings –Results indicate that authentic leadership is positively linked to contextual performance of
nurses. Furthermore, psychological capital is found to mediate the relationship between authentic leadership
and contextual performance while autonomy acts as a moderator between psychological capital and
contextual performance.
Practical implications –Findings of this investi gation would help healthcare managers to unders tand
the importance of devel oping the psychological capital of healt hcare workers. The paper draws attention
of hospital administr ators toward the need for s etting up an appropriat e environment wherein
nurses are given a certain degree of autonomy to per form their task more effec tively. This study also
highlights the import ance of an effective lead ership style, namely aut hentic leadership in in fluencing
contextual performa nce in service-oriented organiz ations such as healthcare insti tutions, as investigated in
this study.
Originality/value –While extensive literature is available on authentic leadership and its impact on
followers’behavior, very little work seems to have been done to show a linkage between authentic leadership
and contextual performance, especially in the context of nurses in developing country such as India. This
work, therefore, may be considered original and of significant value in understanding the relationships
between the various constructs in the Indian scenario.
Keywords Quantitative, Autonomy, Psychological capital, Advanced statistical, Nurses, Authentic leadership,
Contextual performance
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The demand for better healthcare services in India has increased significantly over the past
decade. Nursing professionals are a very important and critical part of any healthcare
system since quality of patient care, productivity and image of a hospital depend directly on
them (Harless and Mark, 2010). However, the challenges faced by nurses in their profession
are immense, especially in the Indian context. Furthermore, the work–family conflicts
arising due to living in a relatively orthodox culture such as one in India only add to the
difficulties faced by female nurses who comprise majority of this workforce (Valk and
Srinivasan, 2011).
The nursing profession demands very serious work, often in challenging circumstances
with indefinite working hours and continuous exposure to illnesses and distress (INQRI
Study). Additionally, quality of leadership (in strict hierarchical structures in healthcare
facilities where doctors and administrators are placed at the top and nurses almost at the
bottom) directly influences the professional performance of nurses (Cummings et al., 2010;
Flodgren et al., 2012).Generally, nursing involves, in addition to providing medical attention,
extending personal touch and emotional support. While such activities do not form part of
Personnel Review
Vol. 47 No. 6, 2018
pp. 1244-1260
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0048-3486
DOI 10.1108/PR-07-2016-0168
Received 21 July 2016
Revised 20 July 2017
20 February 2018
Accepted 3 March 2018
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0048-3486.htm
1244
PR
47,6
nurses’laid down job descriptions, such actions may help significantly in making patients
and their loved ones feel a lot better by assuring them that they are in good hands. Similar
activities may also assist in accomplishing better organizational work in qualitative terms.
Borman and Motowidlo, (1993) proposed a job performance model that suggested that
behaviors constituting the job performance domain could be divided into two categories,
namely task performance and contextual performance. Behaviors directly contributing to an
organization’s technical core and accepted as characteristical part of an individual’s job
constituted task performance (Coleman and Borman, 2000). On the other hand, behaviors
which maintained the wider social environment within which the technical core functioned
represented contextual performance. These included voluntary work that improved the
functioning of the hospital (Borman and Motowidlo, 1993). They further argued that when
individuals invested energy in work roles, they displayed enhanced contextual performance
relating to their inclination to act in a fashion that assisted in the psychological and social
contexts of a firm. Hence, behaviors representing contextual performance are very
important to the nursing profession, and such behavior must be encouraged and nurtured to
provide high quality of care to patients and achieve organizational goals.
In any organization, leadershipgreatly determines employeebehavior. Effective leadership
is required to efficiently manage an organization’s resources (human resources in particular)
and achieve organizational goals. It can be said that if leaders make efforts to encourage a
certain type of behavior, employees are more likely to exhibit it (Podsakoffet al., 1990). Thus,
leaders must adoptan approach most effective in maximizingcontextual performance among
employees. Authentic leadership has, over the last decade, received significant research
attention as an approach that inspires a sense of well-being among employees and leads to
greater job performance (Luthans et al., 2007).
Authentic leaders possess the capability to establish hope and trust in employees and
promote a work environment conducive to the well-being of followers (Avolio and Gardner,
2005). Such work environment supports psychological health and develops positive
psychological capital (Avey et al., 2009; Malik and Dhar, 2017) which can be understood as a
developmental and positive state of a person represented by hope, self-efficacy, resiliency
and optimism. Existing body of literature establishes that authentic leadership promotes
employees’psychological capital (Clapp-Smith et al., 2009; Rego et al., 2012). According to
Gardner, Avolio, Luthans, May and Walumbwa (2005, p. 345), authentic leaders “draw from
the positive psychological states that accompany optimal self-esteem and psychological
well-being, such as confidence, optimism, hope and resilience to model and promote the
development of these states in others.”Furthermore, authentic leaders increase
psychological resources of employees, thus helping them cope better with difficulties,
failures and drawbacks. While psychological capital may, according to contextual
conditions and individual characteristics, vary in individuals, it has been associated with
increased performance and work outcomes beyond defined roles (Luthans, 2002a, b).
According to Roberts et al. (2011) and Demerouti and Bakker (2011), employees’
psychological capital can be enhanced by job autonomy as it offers employees necessary
latitude and discretion which encourages them to exhibit higher levels of performance
beyond specified contractual obligations. Indeed, several studies, in the past, have examined
the impact of autonomy in combination with other factors on job performance and work
outcomes (Cordery et al., 2010; Dodd and Ganster, 1996). Job autonomy can be understood as
the degree of freedom given to an employee to carry out his/her job (Morgeson et al., 2005;
Thompson and Prottas, 2006). Studies have found that providing task-related autonomy to
employees may lead to greater job satisfaction, performance and motivation (Argote and
McGrath, 1993; Spector, 1986; Loher et al., 1985).
The above discussion shows that the relationship between authentic leadership and
behaviors falling outside the purview of laid down job descriptions (organizational
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Contextual
performance of
Indian nurses
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