Authentic Leadership, Emotional Exhaustion and Job Satisfaction in Nigerian Hospitality Industry: the mediating Role of Psychological Ownership

Abstract

This study was conducted with the aim of evaluating ways of reducing emotional exhaustion and ensuring job satisfaction.This was done by examining the predictive role of authentic leadership, through the intervening role of psychological ownership in Nigerian hospitality industry. To achieve these objectives, 350 questionnaire were administered to frontline employees and their responses analyzed using Smart-PLS version 3.0. Finding reveals that authentic leadership negatively associates with emotional exhaustion, and positively with psychological ownership. The relationship between authentic leadership and job satisfaction was positive based on one tailed test but was found to be statistically insignificant. Employee psychological ownership was found a mediate the relationship between authentic leadership job satisfaction as well as emotional exhaustion indicating indirect relationship with job satisfaction and emotional exhaustion. We recommended that practionners in hospitality industry and other service related organisation should pay attention to the kind of leadership style in their organisatiion by grooming authentic leaders who should provide needed mitigating effect on their emotional exhaustion. Secondly, infusing sense of belonging increases employee psychological ownership, hence managers were encouraged to see leadership from the followers perspective to ensure job satisfaction and reduced emotional exhaustion.