Abstract
This dissertation in practice involved an investigation of relationships between authentic leadership, interpersonal trust, and psychological capital among employees in higher education. Higher education is facing a period of significant and unprecedented change, requiring leaders who are authentic, relational, and trustworthy. To investigate relationships among the research variables and test the four study hypotheses, this quantitative study utilized a nonexperimental, cross-sectional design, employing a composite survey instrument comprised of three extant, validated scales (i.e., Authentic Leadership Questionnaire, Interpersonal Trust scale, Psychological Capital Questionnaire). With a sample of 162 respondents from an institution of higher education in the Western United States, descriptive statistics and findings drawn from multivariate regression analysis indicated statistically significant relationships among the three variables, supporting the study hypotheses. Most notably, interpersonal trust was found to moderate the relationship between authentic leadership and psychological capital—a novel finding and contribution to the leadership literature. Based on study findings, a proposed solution is presented to bridge leadership theory and practice in an applied setting (i.e., higher education). The practitioner-based solution is structured in the format of a half-day seminar for participants to build, understand, and apply concepts of authentic leadership, interpersonal trust, and psychological capital in the workplace and beyond. With numerous desirable effects and outcomes attributed to these developable states, organizations stand to benefit from cultivating such capacities in their employees. Keywords: authentic leadership, interpersonal trust, psychological capital, higher education