Theses and Dissertations

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Browsing Theses and Dissertations by Subject "Authentic Leadership"

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    The Relationship Between Authentic Leadership And Employee Resilience: The Role Of Trust As A Mediator Among Nurses In Makhado Municipality
    (2026-05-19) Badugela, Vhuthuhawe
    The healthcare sector in South Africa, particularly in rural areas such as Makhado Local Municipality, continues to face persistent challenges, including staff shortages, heavy workloads, emotional labour and constrained resources. These conditions place significant strain on nurses, highlighting the need for resilient employees in supportive leadership. This study examined the relationship between authentic leadership and employee resilience and investigated whether trust in leadership mediates this relationship among nurses in the Makhado Local Municipality, South Africa. Guided by Authentic Leadership Theory, Conservation of Resources Theory, Positive Psychology Theory, and Social Exchange Theory, the study proposed that authentic leadership enhances resilience directly and indirectly through trust. A quantitative, positivist, cross-sectional research design was used. Data were collected from 201 nurses using 3 validated instruments: The Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ), the Employee Resilience Scale (ERS), and the Trust in Leadership Scale (TLS). Descriptives statistics were used to summarise participant demographics, Pearson Correlations assessed the relationships between variables. Regression and mediation analysis were conducted using Haye’s PROCESS Model 4, to determine the direct effects and indirect effects of authentic leadership on resilience through trust. The results showed that authentic leadership is positively related to both trust in leadership and employee resilience. Trust in leadership was also positively associated with employee resilience. Mediation analysis revealed that trust partially mediates the relationship between authentic leadership and employee resilience, indicating that authentic leadership not only directly enhances resilience but also fosters trust, which in turn strengthens employees capacity to cope with workplace challenges. These findings highlight the importance of authentic leadership behaviours in strengthening trust and enhancing resilience among nurses working in a resource constrained public healthcare settings. The study provided practical implications for leadership development and organisational strategies aimed at improving nurse well-being and performance.