Perceived leader concern, employee authentic self-expression, and self-concept-job fit

Abstract Bringing one’s authentic self to work is important to employees’ psychological well-being and performance. Although literature has examined how organizational factors influence authentic self-expression, it has largely overlooked the role of leaders. Drawing from leadership research, this study investigates the impact of perceived leader concern on authentic self-expression and its downstream effects on job attitudes. Findings provide empirical support for our predictions. Specifically, perceived leader concern is positively associated with authentic self-expression, which in turn relates positively to perceived self-concept-job fit. Regarding downstream outcomes, self-concept-job fit is positively related to organizational commitment and negatively to turnover intentions. Serial mediation analyses show that leader concern indirectly affects commitment and turnover intentions through authentic self-expression and self-concept-job fit. These findings highlight that leaders who show genuine concern foster open communication and authentic self-expression, enhancing alignment between identity and work, thereby strengthening commitment and reducing turnover. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.