Authentic Leadership's Impact on Employees Felt Obligation: Moderated Mediation Model

In contemporary organizational settings, leadership significantly shapes organizational dynamics and influences employee attitudes and behaviors. Despite extensive research on leadership styles, there remains a gap in understanding the impact of authentic leadership on key employee outcomes, such as organizational identification and felt obligation. Drawing on Social Identity Theory (SIT), this paper examines how authentic leadership fosters organizational identification and influences felt obligation among employees. We propose a framework that considers the role of job fit as a moderating factor in these relationships. By exploring the mechanisms through which authentic leadership enhances employee identification and obligation, this study bridges the gap between leadership theory and practical applications in organizational behavior. The findings offer valuable insights for organizational leaders and human resource practitioners on promoting authentic leadership and ensuring proper job fit to enhance overall organizational effectiveness.