The Effect of Authentic Leadership on Employee Retention in Ethiopian Federal Police Commission: Mediating Role of Organizational Commitment
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63990/2026ajoldvol11iss1pp127-150Keywords:
Authentic leadership, Organizational commitment, Employee retentionAbstract
This study examines the effects of authentic leadership on employee retention in Ethiopian Federal Police Commission with organizational commitment as a mediator. Quantitative approach and explanatory design were used. Data were collected, from 380 operational and staff officers, identified from the commission using the Krejcie and Morgan formula. SmartPLS4 software employed to analyze PLS-SEM. The findings specified that authentic leadership is a strong predictor of organizational commitment (β = 0.526, p < 0.001), which is a robust predictor of employee retention (β = 0.479, p < 0.001). The effect of authentic leadership on retention is also direct (β = 0.425, p = 0.001) although an organizational commitment mediates this effect (β = 0.252, p = 0.001). These results demonstrate the theoretical significance of organizational commitment in retention and the practical significance of authentic leadership in law enforcement. Authentic leadership enhances commitment, reduce turnover and the continuation of policing services through transparency, ethics and effective communication. The report highlights the importance of leadership development initiatives that entrench authentic leadership concepts to increase the stability of the workforce, effectiveness of its operations, and societal confidence in policing.
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