Systematic Literature Review: (SLR) on Authentic Leadership and Creativity

 Corresponding author: Hera Fatima Iqbal Copyright © 2025 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0. Systematic Literature Review: (SLR) on Authentic Leadership and Creativity Hera Fatima Iqbal *, Ila Pandey and Shalini Shukla Department of Management, Sikkim University, (A Central University), Gangtok, Sikkim. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2025, 28(02), 2201-2212 Publication history: Received 09 October 2025; revised on 22 November 2025; accepted on 24 November 2025 Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2025.28.2.3948 Abstract This systematic literature review (SLR) examines empirical research published between 2015 and 2025 on the relationship between Authentic Leadership (AL) and Creativity. Using the keywords “Authentic Leadership” AND “Creativity”, searches were conducted across EBSCO, Web of Science, Emerald, and JSTOR. A total of 916 studies were initially identified, and after multiple screening, 29 empirical articles met the inclusion criteria. The review reveals that authentic leadership consistently enhances creativity across diverse sectors and national contexts. However, this relationship is largely indirect, operating through mediators such as psychological capital, affective commitment, intrinsic motivation, and knowledge sharing. Several moderators, including learning culture, empowerment, and leader–member exchange (LMX), further shape the strength of this relationship. The findings contribute to theoretical perspectives such as Social Exchange Theory and Positive Organizational Behavior by demonstrating how authentic leadership builds psychological resources that promote creativity. The review highlights the critical role of contextual and psychological mechanisms in strengthening creative outcomes under authentic leadership. Keywords: Authentic Leadership; AL; Creativity; Employee creativity; Leadership Style; SLR 1. Introduction Authentic Leadership (AL) has emerged as a significant leadership style that emphasizes transparency, ethical behavior, and relational honesty. Upsurge with the work of Kernis (2003) and Avolio et al., (2004), research on AL or leader’s authenticity has gained stark attention by various scholars due to its positive impact of organizational outcomes. Kernis (2003, pg. 13) coined AL as “reflecting the unobstructed operation of one’s true, or core self in one’s daily enterprise.” Later, Avolio et al., (2004) extended work into AL process and its impact on behavioral outcomes. Followed by it many researchers across the world contributed significantly into this domain (Strom, 2020; Ahmed, 2024; Hoang, Luu, & Yang, 2025) and confirmed relationship between leader’s authenticity and positive organizational outcomes in terms of performance, creativity, commitment and extra role behavior. In contemporary organizational contexts, creativity has become a crucial driver of innovation and competitiveness. Given this increasing importance, researchers have focused on understanding the role of authentic leadership in fostering creativity among employees. It has been observed that authentic leader provide psychological safety, job autonomy clarity of purpose and expression along with relationship trust with followers/ employees. These organizational imperatives are supportive factors for employee creativity and innovation. However, there is no unanimous consensus on process that leads to employee creativity due to multiplicity of studies and factors involved in the complex relationship. And this knowledge gap is the pressing need for conducting systematic literature review (SLR) on this topic. Thus, present SLR aims to synthesize empirical evidence from the past decade and evaluate how authentic leadership contributes to creative outcomes across diverse organizational settings. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2025, 28(02), 2201-2212 2202 Using rigorous and scientific process of SLR, present study aims to achieve the following research objectives. • RO1: To explore the evolution and growth of authentic leadership and creativity research across time, context and publication avenues. • RO2: To categories research design, methods and key findings in AL and creativity research over the period of time. • RO3: To study the prevalent mechanism, limitations and suggesting future directions for study. Paper is structured into many segments. First segment is introduction, second is methodology of the study, followed by analysis, result and discussion. At the end, paper has section on implications, limitation, future directions and conclusion. 2. Background of AL Various studies have defined AL in different ways. Following table 1 has summarized the more used and accepted definitions. Table 1 Top five definitions of AL Author(s) Year AL Definitions Important aspect Luthans & Avolio 2003 “AL goes beyond traditional leadership in focusing on developing genuine and transparent leader–follower relationships.” Transparent Gardner et al., 2005 “Authentic leaders are those who are deeply aware of how they think and behave and are perceived by others as aware of their own and others’ values, moral perspectives, knowledge, and strengths.” Values, moral perspectives, knowledge, and strengths Ilies, Morgeson, & Nahrgang 2005 “AL comprises behaviors that draw upon and promote both the leader’s and followers’ psychological capacities and a positive ethical climate.” Psychological capacities and a positive ethical climate Avolio & Gardner 2005 “AL refers to a process that draws from both positive psychological capacities and a highly developed organizational context.” Psychological capacities Walumbwa et al., 2005 “AL is a pattern of leader behavior that draws upon and promotes both positive psychological capacities and a positive ethical climate.” Positive psychological capacities (Source: Prepared by Authors) Authentic leadership style focuses on culture that prioritizes specific organizational outcomes in terms of creativity, sustainability, commitment and intention to stay. This leadership style has been found to have a significant impact on organizations culture. Number of studies has found that authentic leadership, characterized by leaders' moral values, ethical behavior, and transparency, played a critical role in shaping employees' behavior and creating a responsible culture. Study by Zeb et al., (2020) found that authentic leadership is positively related to innovation, which, in turn, leads to a supportive organizational culture. The study, which surveyed employees from various Bangladeshi organizations, found that leaders who exhibit green authentic leadership behaviors, such as setting a positive example for environmental responsibility and supporting employees in environmentally conscious practices, were more likely to foster an environment of green innovation, which eventually led to the creation of a green culture. Additionally, a study by Voegtlin and Scherer (2017) found that authentic leadership positively impacts employees' attitudes towards organization's performance. Authentic leadership is a leadership style that emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, transparency, and ethical behavior. Psychological empowerment refers to employees' feelings of competence, control, and meaningfulness in their work. The relationship between authentic leadership and psychological empowerment has been a topic of interest in organizational research. This literature review will discuss the studies that have explored the impact of authentic leadership on psychological empowerment. Muthén and Muthén (2017) conducted a meta-analysis of 38 studies and World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2025, 28(02), 2201-2212 2203 found a significant positive relationship between authentic leadership and psychological empowerment. The findings indicated that authentic leadership behaviors, such as being genuine, transparent, and trustworthy, contribute to employees' sense of empowerment in their work. 3. Methodology 3.1. Search Strategy The keywords “Authentic Leadership” AND “Creativity” were used to conduct searches across major academic databases including EBSCO (208 articles), Web of Science (281), Emerald (359; 208 journal articles), and JSTOR (13), focusing on publications from the past 10 years. Four databases have been included for search strategy in order to make it more comprehensive. Many previous studies have also suggested for inclusion of more than one database in search strategy of SLR. 3.2. Inclusion Criteria • Empirical research articles published between 2015 and 2025 • Studies examining the relationship between Authentic Leadership and Creativity • Publications in open-access journals • English-language studies • Full-text availability 3.3. Exclusion Criteria • Conceptual or theoretical papers without empirical evidence • Articles not directly addressing creativity as an outcome variable • Studies outside leadership or creativity contexts • Non-English publications • Conference papers, book chapters, and dissertations 3.4. Selection Results The initial screening resulted in 916 articles. After removing duplicates and screening titles and abstracts, 856 studies remained. During second screening step only full text articles were selected. A full-text review based on inclusion and exclusion criteria resulted in 29 eligible empirical studies. These studies explicitly examined relationships between authentic leadership and creativity. A PRISMA-style flow chart (Moher, Liberati, Tetzlaff, & Altman, 2009) was used to visualize the selection process. See below figure 1; World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2025, 28(02), 2201-2212 2204 Source: Prepared by author(s) using PRISMA framework (Moher et al., 2009) Figure 1 Summary of article selection process (PRISMA framework) 4. Results 4.1. Growth in Publications Over Time The distribution of publications from 2015 to 2025 shows an upward trend in research on authentic leadership and creativity. The peak occurred in 2021, suggesting heightened academic interest in these topics, possibly influenced by post-pandemic organizational restructuring. Prior years show moderate growth with gradual increases in scholarly attention. See figure 2 below; World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2025, 28(02), 2201-2212 2205 (Source: Prepared by Authors) Figure 2 Publication frequency by year 4.2. Publications by Country Pakistan emerged as the most dominant contributor in this research domain, producing the highest number of studies. This reflects the nation’s growing emphasis on people-centric leadership approaches within rapidly evolving economic environments. Many of these studies appear in reputable international journals, highlighting Pakistan’s increasing academic engagement and recognition. The country's emerging economy places authentic leadership at the center of creative and adaptive organizational strategies. See figure 3 below; (Source: Prepared by Authors) Figure 3 Publication count by country/context 4.3. Publications by Journals Frontiers in Psychology was the leading journal publishing research on authentic leadership and creativity. Its broad interdisciplinary scope and strong focus on psychological mechanisms make it a natural fit for studies linking leadership, employee motivation, and innovative behavior. The journal’s open-access format and timely publication World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2025, 28(02), 2201-2212 2206 processes further contribute to its popularity among researchers examining leadership–creativity dynamics. See figure 4; (Source: Prepared by Authors) Figure 4 Publication count as per journals 4.4. Summary of Selected Studies A total of 29 empirical studies using primarily quantitative and SEM-based designs were reviewed. These studies span diverse countries including Pakistan, China, India, Portugal, Cyprus, Jordan, Vietnam, and Indonesia, and cover multiple sectors such as healthcare, education, banking, SMEs, corporate firms, and service industries. See table 2 below; Table 2 Summary of research articles included in SLR No. Author(s) & Year Country / Context Sample / Sector Method Mediators / Moderators Key Findings 1 Sumanth et al., 2023 EU & US Corporate employees Survey + SEM LMX, Proactive Orientation Authentic leadership enhances creativity by strengthening LMX and proactive behavior. 2 Rehman & Zeb, 2023 Pakistan Organizational staff Quantitative SEM Green psychological climate Authentic leadership stimulates green creativity via positive psychological environment. 3 Duarte et al., 2021 EU (Business Sector) Service employees SEM Affective commitment Leadership promotes creativity through affective commitment pathways. 4 Meng et al., 2016 China Corporate teams SEM Positive team atmosphere Team climate mediates leadership effects on creative output. 5 Jung et al., 2021 Korea Organizational employees SEM Org. learning culture Learning culture moderates relationships to innovative behavior. 6 Khan et al., 2021 N/A (general context) VUCA environment SEM — Authentic leadership important for innovation in uncertain business conditions. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2025, 28(02), 2201-2212 2207 7 Gao et al., 2021 China SMEs SEM CSR involvement CSR and AL jointly enhance workplace innovation. 8 Laguna et al., 2019 EU (3 countries) Multilevel organizational sample Multilevel SEM — AL significantly predicts employees' innovative behavior across nations. 9 Hu et al., 2018 China Corporate workforce SEM Psych. capital & compassion Positive mechanisms enhance proactive behaviors and creativity. 10 Groselj et al., 2021 EU & US Private sector SEM Psychological empowerment Empowerment moderates AL effects on innovation. 11 Semedo et al., 2017 EU Organizational employees SEM Happiness Happiness mediates creativity outcomes. 12 Zeb et al., 2020 Pakistan Work teams SEM Knowledge sharing AL influences creativity through knowledgesharing behaviors. 13 Lei et al., 2021 China Organizational teams Multilevel SEM Team dynamics AL enhances creativity at both individual and team levels. 14 Imam et al., 2020 Pakistan Corporate employees SEM Empowerment & supervisor commitment These mechanisms transmit leadership effects to creativity. 15 Alzghoul et al., 2018 Jordan Corporates SEM Workplace climate Climate strengthens creativity and performance under AL. 16 Chaudhary & Panda, 2018 India Employees SEM Meaningfulness, safety, engagement Psychological states mediate creativity outcomes. 17 Ribeiro et al., 2020 Portugal Corporate sector SEM Affective commitment Leadership enhances creativity via employee commitment. 18 Ribeiro et al., 2018 Portugal Organizations SEM OCB + creativity AL improves performance via discretionary behaviors. 19 Anwar et al., 2020 Pakistan Health sector SEM Leadership + Creativity Psychological resources explain creativity outcomes. 20 Rashid et al., 2019 Pakistan Organizations SEM Psychological capital PsyCap mediates innovation influence. 21 Malik et al., 2016 India Nursing sector Survey — AL positively influences nursing staff creativity. 22 Mubarak & Noor, 2018 Pakistan Project-based firms SEM Work engagement & empowerment Dual mediating chain enhances creativity. 23 Yikılmaz & Sürücü, 2023 Cyprus Organizations SEM LMX LMX mediates leadership–creativity relationship. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2025, 28(02), 2201-2212 2208 24 Sengupta et al., 2021 India Start-ups SEM Engagement & proactivity AL boosts creativity in entrepreneurial contexts. 25 Ahmad et al., 2015 Pakistan Higher education SEM Intrinsic motivation & mood Teaching creativity is strengthened via motivational pathways. 26 Phuong & Takahashi, 2021 Vietnam Service organizations SEM Psych. contract, subcultures Context moderates creativity outcomes. 27 Hanaysha, 2022 Malaysia Higher education SEM OCB Transformational + authentic leadership drive creativity. 28 Al Sarayreh et al., 2025 Jordan Commercial banks SEM — AL significantly enhances creativity in banking workforce. 29 Siswanti & Muafi, 2025 Indonesia Organizations SEM Motivating language Leadership communication moderates innovation outcomes. (Source: Prepared by authors) 5. Discussion The studies reviewed consistently indicate that Authentic Leadership enhances creativity, but the relationship is rarely direct. Instead, creativity is shaped through both psychological mediators and contextual moderators. 5.1. Mediating Mechanisms The SLR highlights several psychological and social mediators through which authentic leadership influences creativity: • Psychological capital (e.g., hope, resilience, optimism) • Affective commitment • Intrinsic motivation and mood • Knowledge sharing behaviors • Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) These mediators demonstrate that authentic leaders influence creativity by nurturing employees' psychological states, motivation, and willingness to engage in creative behaviors. 5.2. Moderating Factors Several moderating variables strengthen or shape the AL–creativity relationship: • Leader–Member Exchange (LMX) enhances relational dynamics. • Learning culture supports innovative thinking in organizational environments. • Psychological empowerment increases employees’ confidence in expressing creative ideas. • Positive team climate fosters shared support for innovation. These moderators emphasize that authentic leadership alone is not sufficient; instead, creativity requires supportive structures and relational conditions. 5.3. Sectorial and Contextual Insights Findings show that authentic leadership is effective across multiple sectors such as healthcare, education, SMEs, banking, and corporate environments. Emerging economies—such as Pakistan, China, and India—feature prominently, World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2025, 28(02), 2201-2212 2209 suggesting that authentic leadership may be particularly influential in environments experiencing rapid change, development, or resource constraints. 5.4. Theoretical Contributions The studies align strongly with: • Social Exchange Theory (SET): Employees reciprocate authentic leaders’ ethical conduct with trust, engagement, and creativity. • Positive Organizational Behavior (POB): Authentic leadership builds psychological resources that foster creativity. • Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) Theory: Authentic leaders provide essential psychological and relational resources that enable creativity under workplace demands. These theoretical perspectives collectively show that creativity emerges from a combination of leadership support, employee motivation, and positive interpersonal relationships. 5.5. Synthesis of Findings Overall, authentic leadership enhances creativity through psychological empowerment, relational exchange, motivational pathways, and supportive climates. Creativity thrives when authentic leadership is paired with: • positive work environments • psychological safety • learning-oriented cultures • strong interpersonal trust Thus, both leadership style and contextual factors act as multidimensional drivers of creative performance. 6. Limitations and Future Directions Every study has certain limitations, so thus present study has. And it is important to discuss, few important limitations. First, this SLR has time frame from 2015-2025 (10 Years) only. There may be certain important articles published before 2015 on AL and creativity. Conceptual research articles, non-English research articles have been removed through exclusion criteria, might impact the important and substantial findings. Based on these limitations, further studies can include non-English research articles for improved coverage of studies. Time frame can also be increase to understand the more broad evolution of AL and its impact. Other variables (commitment, intention to stay, extra role behavior etc.) can also be studies with creativity to make it more comprehensive. Theory specific SLR can also been perform to understand AL process and its impact of organizational outcome. Certain boundary conditions such as psychological, relational and contextual factors that impact this AL and creativity relation can also be studies through SLR. Additionally, in AL research domain, more longitudinal and experimental research work is needed to understand process and role of mediator/ moderators. Difference in culture, industry, and sector can also be studies to improve the predictability of AL process and its impact. 7. Conclusion and Implications This SLR holds significant contribution for policy makers, strategist and researchers. Theoretically, this study positioned AL as one of the prominent and significant antecedents of creativity among all. However, with AL there are many other factors played their role in shaping the employee overall creativity. Therefore, researcher can use multilevel modeling to enhance further understanding of individual, organizational and contextual factors in the creativity theories to extend its predictability. Additionally, study also shows few boundaries for AL and creativity relation, indicating that leader’s authenticity not necessarily guarantees positive organizational outcomes (such as creativity in this case). Thus it would be interesting to see if these boundaries or conditions are applicable in universal pattern or situation specific. Practically, these finding can help in leadership development programs, promoting organizational creativity & sustainability, and retaining the strategic employees by improving commitment. HR manager can use authenticity of leader as performance appraisal measure, job autonomy, ethical decision making, reducing employee turnover, generating commitment-based culture.