The impact of authentic leadership on organizational learning: mediating roles of organizational culture and knowledge sharing

Purpose – Drawing upon social information processing theory, this research examines the impact of authentic leadership on organizational learning through the mediating roles of organizational culture and knowledge sharing. Design/methodology/approach – Using purposive sampling, we targeted all senior managers of nonprofit sport organizations in Gilan Province, Iran. Of the 189 questionnaires distributed, 182 usable responses were retained for analysis. The collected data were subsequently analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling with SmartPLS 4.0. Findings – Our findings provide evidence that authentic leadership has a significant positive effect on organizational learning, organizational culture and knowledge sharing. Furthermore, our study demonstrates that organizational culture and knowledge sharing serve as important mechanisms through which authentic leadership contributes to the development of organizational learning. Practical implications – Nonprofit sport organizations should invest in targeted leadership development programs to strengthen authentic leadership capabilities among current and emerging leaders. Simultaneously, managers should cultivate transparent and collaborative organizational cultures that promote knowledge sharing through open communication and trust-based relationships. Together, these initiatives can enhance organizational learning and contribute to the long-term effectiveness of nonprofit sport organizations. Originality/value – This article presents an integrated model explaining how authentic leadership influences organizational learning in the underexplored context of Iranian sports organizations.