Abstract
With international public trust levels in 2014 at a record low, the importance of authentic leadership and its potential impact on society has never more important. Several studies have demonstrated the importance of authentic leadership in terms of its positive effects on organisational citizenship behaviours and employee performance which in turn serve to benefit an organisation. But what relationship, if any, is there between authentic leadership and the mental wellbeing and psychological capabilities of individual followers? This quantative study examined the relationship between perceived authentic leadership in managers/direct supervisors and employee burnout levels and self-efficacy level (n=93) . The research found a significant positive correlation between perceived authentic leadership and self-efficacy and a significant negative correlation between perceived authentic leadership in the Irish workplace. These findings suggest support for the relationship between leader authenticity and employee welfare.
