Authentic leadership and organizational job embeddedness in higher education

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between authentic leadership and organizational job embeddedness and the mediating roles of psychological ownership and self-concordance on that relationship in higher education. The study sample encompasses 1193 faculty members along with their deans from randomly selected 13 universities in İstanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Kayseri, Antalya, Bursa, Samsun and Gaziantep during 2013-2014 spring semester. Faculty member’s perceptions of psychological ownership, self-concordance and organizational job embeddedness were measured using the Psychological Ownership Scale developed by Van Dyne and Pierce (2004), Perceived Locus of Causality Scale developed by Sheldon and Elliot (1999) and Organization Embeddedness Scale developed by Mitchell, Holtom, Lee, Sablynski, and Erez (2001) respectively. Avolio, Gardner, and Walumbwa’s (2007) Authentic Leadership Questionnaire was used to assess faculty dean’s authentic leadership behaviors. The results revealed a significant and positive relationship between authentic leadership and organizational job embeddedness and mediating roles of psychological ownership and self-concordance on that relationship.