Factorial structure and validity of the short version of the authentic leadership questionnaire in Polish samples

Abstract

The concept of authentic leadership refers to high ethical standards, sincerity and open communication in organizations. The aim of the presented paper was to test factorial structure and validity of the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ). Two studies were conducted on two Polish samples: longitudinal Study 1 on a sample of employees of different professions and cross-sectional Study 2 on nurses. Four alternative models were tested with the use of confirmatory factor analysis. The four-factor model based on the short 13-items version of the ALQ was revealed to fit the data best. The four ALQ dimensions: leader self-awareness, relational transparency, internalized moral perspective and balanced processing were confirmed in both samples. Analysis of relationships between authentic leadership, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, turnover intention and burnout in followers confirmed concurrent and predictive validity of the short version of the measure.