Effects of Authentic Leadership on Fostering Organizational Resilience at Al Ankabout Company, Syria

Abstract

Because the continuing crisis has affected Syria negatively at the economic level, organizational resilience has emerged as a vital element for the survival and affluence of private companies. Even though these companies’ ability to rapidly and successfully handle potential challenges and adjust to new changes has become crucial, little substantial research has been published on this critical issue. This study aims to explore the effects of authentic leadership on enhancing organizational resilience at Al Ankabout Company, Syria. It employs a qualitative exploratory case study as the research strategy. To collect some reliable and valid data, semi-structured interviews and reflective journals were conducted with 20 Syrian employees. The qualitative data gathered were analyzed by means of thematic analysis. The findings showed that authentic leadership could have some positive effects on increasing employee resilience to cope with the hurdles of the crisis. When managers behave as authentic and ethical leaders, they demonstrate more fairness and integrity, trying to boost their employees’ self-motivation, work engagement and job satisfaction.  The significance of this study is that it makes a genuine contribution in self-scrutinizing the complex nature of enhancing organizational resilience by means of authentic leadership in conflicting and turbulent business contexts. Its findings could have important consequences for employers, CEOs and other stakeholders. In particular, this study recommended conducting more in-depth exploration on how understanding the close link between authentic leadership and organizational resilience plays a key role in gaining more accurate insights into handling the negative impact of the Syrian crisis on employees’ performance at both private and public companies.