THE EFFECT OF AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP ON WORK ENGAGEMENT IN MEXICO

This article examines the relationship between authentic leadership (AL) and work engagement (WE) in the Mexican context, addressing the growing demand for ethical and value-driven leadership within organizations. Employing a quantitative research design, the study investigates whether authentic leadership positively influences work engagement among two distinct populations: undergraduate students engaged in student leadership roles at the University of Monterrey and employees of a major cement company in Monterrey, Mexico. Data was collected using the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), with a combined total of 418 responses. Findings from Pearson correlation and hierarchical regression analyses reveal statistically significant and moderately strong positive relationships between AL and WE in both samples (students: r = .51, p < .001; employees: r = .515, p < .001). The results suggest that authentic leadership substantially enhances individuals' levels of vigor, dedication, and absorption in their work and organizational roles. This study contributes to the limited empirical literature on AL in Latin American settings and highlights the practical implications for leadership development and organizational effectiveness in culturally diverse environments.