Unlocking the relationship between authentic leadership and organizational citizenship behavior: the key roles of organizational support and identification

Purpose This study aims to identify the intermediate psychological mechanism – organizational identification – that links authentic leadership with follower’s organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Moreover, it examines the moderating role of perceived organizational support (POS) in the relationship between authentic leadership and organizational identification. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a cross-sectional research design involving 356 employees from diverse corporations in South Korea. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire to measure perception of authentic leadership, organizational identification, POS and OCB. Findings The results indicate that organizational identification significantly mediates the relationship between the perception of authentic leadership and follower’s OCB. Furthermore, POS acts as a moderating variable, strengthening the relationship between authentic leadership and organizational identification. Specifically, followers who perceive strong support from their organization are more likely to develop a robust sense of organizational identification under authentic leadership, which in turn, enhances their OCB. Originality/value This study offers a novel integration of social identity theory and organizational support theory to examine how authentic leadership influences follower’s OCB. It is among the first to introduce organizational identification as an intermediary in this context and to investigate the moderating effect of POS. The findings provide valuable insights for managers aiming to cultivate a workplace culture that fosters organizational identification and citizenship behaviors, thereby enhancing organizational effectiveness. Future research directions are also highlighted.