Mitigating interpersonal deviance through authentic leadership: do social identification and trust matter?

Purpose: This study investigates how authentic leadership influences followers’ workplace deviance, with a focus on the roles of social identification and trust in coworkers in mediating and moderating this relationship. Design/methodology/approach: Hypotheses were tested using regression analysis and the PROCESS macro on survey data from 242 participants across various Korean business organizations. Findings: The research indicates that social identification mediates the relationship between authentic leadership and interpersonal deviance, while coworkers’ trust plays a robust moderating role. This finding offers a more detailed perspective on the complex organizational dynamics involved. Practical implications: The research advocates for strategies focusing on developing authentic leadership and fostering a trustworthy team environment to mitigate workplace deviance. Originality/value: This study introduces interpersonal deviance in authentic leadership research, offering new insights into leadership styles and their effects on follower behaviors in organizational settings.