Nurses' Authentic Leadership, Organizational Culture, Self‐Efficacy, and Work Engagement: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

BACKGROUND: Authentic leadership holds great potential to impact positive nursing and organizational outcomes. However, authentic leadership's connection to organizational culture, self-efficacy, and work engagement remains underreported. AIMS: To investigate the associations of authentic leadership, organizational culture, self-efficacy, and work engagement among nurses. METHODS: Cross-sectional and correlational design employing consecutive sampling in recruiting nurses (n = 534) between May and October 2024. Four validated self-report scales were used to collect data. Structural equation modeling analysis was used to examine the study variables' interrelationships. RESULTS: Organizational culture significantly predicted authentic leadership (β = 0.91, p = 0.004), while authentic leadership significantly influenced both self-efficacy (β = -0.16, p = 0.041) and work engagement (β = 0.57, p = 0.001). Meanwhile, self-efficacy directly and positively influences work engagement (β = 0.24, p = 0.002). Organizational culture had significant indirect effects on both self-efficacy (β = -0.14, p = 0.042) and work engagement (β = 0.48, p = 0.001) through the mediation of authentic leadership. Finally, self-efficacy mediated the association between authentic leadership and work engagement (β = -0.04, p = 0.002). LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: The study shed light on the complex and interwoven relationships among several essential constructs-specifically, authentic leadership, organizational culture, self-efficacy, and work engagement. These factors collectively contribute to the creation and maintenance of a dynamic and supportive working environment for nurses.