Examining the effect of authentic leadership and contextual performance on work engagement among employees working in sports organizations

Background – This study examines the relationship between authentic leadership and employees’ contextual performance and investigates its association with work engagement. Specifically, the aim was to explore how authentic leadership practices are associated with employee motivation and job performance in the sports sector. Methods – The study employed a quantitative research method using measures of authentic leadership, work engagement, and contextual performance. Data were collected through surveys administered to participants, and various statistical analyses were conducted. A mediation analysis was conducted to examine whether work engagement mediates the relationship between authentic leadership and contextual performance. Results – The analysis showed that authentic leadership is positively associated with work engagement (β = 0.516; p < 0.001). Work engagement is also positively associated with contextual performance (β = 0.393; p < 0.001). Mediation analysis suggested that authentic leadership is indirectly associated with contextual performance through work engagement [indirect effect β = 0.205; 95% CI (0.152, 0.259); p < 0.001], while the direct association between authentic leadership and contextual performance remained significant (β = 0.311; p < 0.001). Conclusion – The study’s results indicate that authentic leadership is positively associated with contextual performance via higher employee engagement in the sports sector. The trusting environment and supportive communication provided by authentic leaders are associated with higher employee motivation and linked to better performance outcomes. The findings suggest that sports managers may benefit from cultivating authentic leadership qualities, which are likely to be associated with greater organizational effectiveness.