When Being Yourself Works—And When It Doesn't: How Culture Shapes Authentic Leadership

Abstract: Authentic leadership has become a cornerstone of contemporary management practice, yet its effectiveness across diverse cultural contexts remains incompletely understood. This article synthesizes meta-analytic evidence from 292 studies spanning over 40 countries to examine how cultural values moderate the relationship between authentic leadership and organizational outcomes. Drawing on culturally endorsed implicit leadership theory and social identity theory, the analysis reveals that authentic leadership effectiveness is culturally contingent rather than universal. While individualism and masculinity tend to strengthen authentic leadership effects, high power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term orientation often attenuate them. These findings challenge the implicit assumption that "being yourself" as a leader works equally well everywhere, offering practitioners evidence-based guidance for adapting leadership approaches in multicultural environments while maintaining integrity.

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