Employees’ Perceptions of How Extrinsic Motivators Influence the Relationship Between Authentic Leadership and Meaningful Work.

Abstract

This study investigates how Authentic Leadership (AL) influences employees’ perceptions of Meaningful Work (MW) and the extent to which Extrinsic Motivators (EM) affect this relationship within UK organisations. While AL is widely associated with fostering MW through intrinsic motivators such as value alignment and trust, the impact of these effects under varying EM, including salary, supervision, and job security, remains unexplored. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) revealed a strong positive relationship between AL and MW; however, it showed a fragmented understanding of how EM influence these dynamics. To address this gap, a quantitative survey was conducted across various UK business sectors. Validated tools were used to measure AL behaviours, MW perceptions, and the importance of EM. Data were analysed using correlation and moderation analysis with SPSS. Results confirmed that AL’s direct effect on MW was positive but non-significant (B = 0.136; β = 0.155; p = 0.120; R² = 0.024). However, EM emerged as a strong positive predictor (B = 0.3868; p = 0.0005) on its own. The interaction term (AL × EM) and the indirect effect of AL on MW through EM were non-significant (B = 0.0371; p = 0.8049) and (B=0.0796; p=0.0655), respectively, indicating no evidence that EM have any effect on this relationship. These findings suggest that EM are the main factors in shaping employees’ perceptions of MW, while AL has only a weak and insignificant effect. In practical terms, this indicates that favourable EMs such as fair pay, job security, and supportive supervision may be more critical for employees in shaping their perceptions of MW, than the authenticity of leader. When employees are motivated by those EM, they are much more likely to perceive their work as meaningful. This holds true, regardless of how leaders show authenticity in their workplace. Future research should explore in large sample and consider longitudinal designs to better capture the dynamic relationship between leadership, meaningfulness, and EM. This study contributes to literature by showing the limited impact of AL on MW and offers practical advice for organisations to focus on foundational motivators to improve perception of MW among employees.