Leadership in the contemporary business world has changed dynamically and hence evolved. Additionally, organizational changes have become increasingly familiar with each corporate striving to compete against competitors and therefore, constant improvements in the workplace. While these changes occur in a broad scope, the most common include employee downsizing, layoffs, and changes within each independent department ( Coxen, Van der Vaart & Stander, 2016) . The drivers within an organization vary depending on the industry and the context within which these changes occur; however, one key driver that remains constant is the role of leadership during the implementation of change.
Companies, therefore, need to adapt to the ever-changing environment of business continuity and hence the need for the management to critically understand factors that explain and facilitate these organizational changes as they remain a necessity. Researchers have thus found, over time, that using a cognitive lens to evaluate the critical success factors for promoting change within an organization remains the most effective and relevant strategy to explain the phenomena ( Coxen et al., 2016) . The cognitive lens through which scholars have found to be useful in explaining successful change involves how employees perceive the change leader based on their internalized moral perspective and hence their ability to influence trust in the employees. This essay thus aims at examining the implications of employee's perception of a leader based on the latter's internalized moral perspective, which then breeds trust.
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Background
Over recent years, research has focused primarily on organizational change and the factors that promote the same as well as those that facilitate its success. However, most studies have neglected the issue of the role and significance of employee emotions; specifically, their ability to trust the leaders based on their internalized moral perspective in the context of organizational change as well as their overall perception of the leader from their moral behavior ( Liang, 2017). There exist numerous theoretical gaps and hence, the purpose of this research which hopes to explain how and why these emotions occur and the ways through which they can be adequately defined. Additionally, this text proposes that a moral leader's behavior which is a reflection of their internalized moral perspective, in conjunction with the employees' trust in their leadership potential are fundamental elements for the success of the change processes.
Problem statement
Scholars have disregarded the thought mentioned above as they fail to consider authentic leadership; which is still considered relatively new and hence unchartered territory in the academic world as well as its impact on organizational changes have limitedly been evaluated. Additionally, trust in the leaders is further regarded as significant in the effectiveness of a leadership style during regulatory change processes since employee’s perception of the leader’s behavior, which is examined from a moral scope, will determine their ability to follow willingly. ( Malik & Dhar, 2017) . Studies reveal that a leader’s internalized moral perspective allows for principle based decision making and in turn moral and ethical behavior which is mimicked by the employees as it allows employees to work unanimously while consequently aligning their objectives with those of the organization ( Malik & Dhar, 2017) . Questions regarding how leaders’ reflection of their morality may influence follower's emotions and trust in their authentic leadership styles to remain widely unanswered and hence, the aim of this research.
Purpose of the study
This investigation will take a quantitative approach towards determining the relationship between an authentic leader's internalized moral perspective and their depiction of the concept, employees’ perceptions of the mentioned leader and the impact of their emotions on their ability to trust the leader during organizational change. The study will evaluate employees from four different organizations which have been categorized into two for better analysis. Additionally, the quantitative approach was found to be suitable as the study involves a comparison of two sets of organizations and the impact of employees’ perceptions of an authentic leader on organizational change.
Significance of the Study
The study will fill a significant gap in the literature as it examines employees’ emotions in depth. Despite numerous studies evaluating employees’ emotions and their effect on an organization, few have considered the emergence of employee emotions based on factors such as their perceptions and ability to trust a leader based on their moral behavior. Understanding this will help scholars identify the impact of the internalized moral perspective of an individual on employees' trust.
Scope and Limitation
The study focuses on four organizations within the US; categorized into two groups and hence a multi-organizational approach. Despite the appropriate and accurate design of the research model and procedures, this study has several limitations. Based on the reliance of responses from the selected participants, the study focused on evaluating employee experiences as well as their attitudes and perceptions towards authentic leadership behavior during the implementation of change. This can be criticized with regards to objectivity based on potential bias within the data collected. Additionally, another limitation is the omission of some variables, which consequently impact the results obtained from the study. These variables have been omitted as their relevance was minimal despite some influence on the outcomes of the research.
Definition of key terms
The key concepts used in the context of this study include authentic leadership which refers to effective leadership by practicing honesty and integrity through moral behavior and in turn, promoting cohesive relationships with followers. Authentic leadership behavior involves the depiction of traits ranging from honesty to integrity and transparency. Additionally, internalized moral perspective, in the context of this investigation, has been defined as the ability of a leader to make moral decisions despite external pressure. A leader's moral behavior is the reflection of the internalized moral perspective and personal standards while employees’ perceptions involve their attitude towards a leader based on their behavior which in turn determines the extent to which the former trust their leaders.
Organization of study
This investigation is categorized into five major sections including the introduction which encompasses the background of the proposed issue and the statement of the problem as well as the purpose of the study, its significance, scope and limitation and the definition of critical terms as presented within the text. The second section introduces the literature, while the next focuses on the theoretical framework. The fourth section focuses on the methodology, research design, sampling and instrumentation as well as the data collection and analysis techniques. The fifth section is the conclusion.
Literature Review
Scholars suggest that being authentic involves being true to oneself while consequently owning their experiences and thoughts ( Malik & Dhar, 2017) . However, numerous other definitions for the term hoped to explain its relevance to moral leadership and hence the selection of the latter as the most appropriate for this context. Authentic leadership reflects upon moral leadership behavior and thus draws upon cognitive abilities and a positive ethical climate through which an individual gains a deeper understanding of themselves while consequently internalizing their moral perspective ( Banks et al., 2016) . The concept is reflected on a leader’s moral behavior which is carefully examined by employees as they develop certain perspectives that determine their commitment to being followers.
Self-development is thus fostered by self-awareness which can further be defined within this text as the ability of an individual to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses, which is then reflected on international with other individuals. Coxen et al. (2016) affirm that this, in turn, promotes relational transparency in the context of an organization to enhance excellent and sustainable working environments. Employees then gain trust in the individual leader as the latter depicts unfaltering moral courage: often observed during instances of ethical dilemmas ( Hoch et al., 2017) . The internalized moral perspective, therefore, refers to the guidance accrued by personally specific moral values while disregarding pressures from the society and is, in turn, reflected on the decision making of the individual.
When evaluating leader effectiveness, on the other hand, Liang (2017) found that this concept differs among scholars based on the differences regarding their definitions of leadership effectiveness. However, most studies evaluate leader effectiveness based on their impact on driving successful organizational changes as well as the consequences of influences on the corporate society through their moral behavior. The impact of employees’ perception of the internalized moral perspective of the leader; which they observe through actions and decisions over time, can be witnessed in their moral reasoning and in other cases, their ability to trust the leader during change.
Leadership and management involves different roles as Kinnunen, Feldt, and Mauno (2016) suggest that while the latter is engaged with the providence of order and consistency within a company, the former's role includes effectively leading change. Various forms of employee behavior reflect their direct attitude towards both the leaders and managers within an organization and thus include but are not limited to absenteeism, grievances, increased turnover, requests for transfers and the deliberate destruction of work machinery. Similarly, managerial effectiveness, in the context of leadership, can further be evaluated through the identification of the sustainability and ability of the manager to serve full-term positions and successful re-election. This is an indication of the impact of employees’ perception and their ability to trust the leader through the latter’s observable internalized moral perspective.
Semedo, Coelho, and Ribeiro (2016), conversely argue about the indicators of leader effectiveness within a corporate setting as he finds that the follower's attitudes and perceptions of the latter reveal the same. These attitudes and perceptions are centered on specific areas such as the ability of the leader to meet their needs and expectations, their trust in the leader and whether they perceive him to be of high integrity as well as their level of commitment towards a leader's requests. Employees are keen to identify whether the leader in question improves the working environment as well as the quality of work-life and their impact on employees’ self-development.
In turn, scholars have studied the relationship between employees’ attitudes and perceptions and the leader's moral and successful contribution to working processes ( Carasco-Saul et al, 2015) . Based on the employees' perceptions of the leader and attitude towards the latter, their ability to conform to the leader's requests which are aimed at improving the quality of group processes, may be fractured. According to Marsden (2016), Lewis argues that morality, which promotes trust and respect, also promotes harmony among individuals and hence a reflection of the same within the workplace. Moreover, group cohesiveness, cooperation, and commitment are dependent on the level of trust and admiration the employees hold towards the leader and hence, the visible interconnection between these factors.
Theoretical Framework
Emotions Involved in The Process of Change
This text defines emotions as the positive or adverse reactions to a specific event; their outcome depending on their Valence. While positive emotions can be associated with the favorable results depicted from one's goals and expectations, negative emotions can be considered as an alternative. This thus explains the context of emotions in the workplace as well as the same in the processes of change. Carasco-Saul et al. (2015) find that emotions are more likely to be observed as they emerge during the process of change, unlike in a non-change context. Organizational changes are thus considered to invoke feelings based on the fact that change involves challenges and threats which stir the employees' emotions.
The uncertainty and unpredictability of changes within a company; especially during the initial phases of implementation, may cause the vulnerability and insecurity among the employees as they remain unsure of their expectations. Over recent years, scholars have incorporated a variety of theories in their investigation of emotions within the workplace ( Turnnidge & Côté, 2018) . The most common approaches have been identified as both the cognitive-behavioral theory and the affective events theory. This research draws upon the latter argument to analyze the consequences of emotions within an organizational setting.
Studies reveal that the emergence of emotional reactions within the workplace begins with a change in circumstances and hence, the emotional experience ( Cropanzano, Dasborough & Weiss, 2017) . Affective events can thus be defined as the constant incidents within the workplace that trigger an emotional experience and therefore the focus on this research on the Human Resources manager and their leaders' authentic leadership behavior which will, in turn, reveal the extent to which they are trusted especially as the facilitators of emotions during organizational change. This then facilitates the research question, "what is the relationship between authentic leadership behavior and the successful implementation of organizational change based on the employees' emotions?"
Employee Perception Effects on Emotions and Trust
Its developers introduced authentic leadership as a strategic approach towards conceptualizing the issue of moral leadership development in specific contexts which involves an organizational change in this research. Based on the four pillars upon which this concept is found, the internalized moral perspective refers to the guidance attained from one's moral values which in turn regulate one's overall behavior ( Ohly & Schmitt, 2015) . These leaders avoid conforming to societal norms as well as succumbing to group pressures during their decision making processes as these factors cloud judgment and hence influence the outcome of their choices, which is an indication of morality.
According to the study conducted by Cropanzano et al. (2017), the relationship between effect and emotions is deep and interconnected based on the fact that they determine one's leadership style, the leader outcomes as well as the follower outcomes. It is, therefore, key to mention that emotions are a significant aspect of authentic leaders as it determines follower outcomes based on the impact of the latter. The appraisal theory is then relevant as it posits that since emotions are observable reactions to specific events, the events in question are of increased importance to the individuals. Events that emerge from employees’ interrelationships with co-worker, clients, and leaders are the most common sources from which emotions emerge.
Using this theory in the context of an organization places the authentic leader's behavior as the source from which the employees' emotions emerge. Additionally, emotions could thus stir from the evaluation of the leader's response by the employee to determine the effect it has on their personal goals or work security ( Turnnidge & Côté, 2018) . A wide range of processes follows and consequently, the evaluation of the leader by an employee depending on the information gathered with regards to the same and which is influenced by factors such as the whether the employees' goals and those of the authentic leader align, trust in the latter and the emotional reaction to the leader.
Scholars have, therefore, over time, considered authentic leadership within a corporate setting a form of moral leadership based on positive influence on employees during organizational change based on the effect of leader behavior on the workforce ( Turnnidge & Côté, 2018) . Engaging a good leader's traits which include transparency facilitated by the constant sharing of information, the consideration of others thoughts and in turn employee involvement, observable internalized moral perspective based on the decisions made allow for the employees’ goals and those of the leader to align while consequently building trust and in turn cohesiveness which is a depiction of the impact of employees’ perception of a leader’s internalized moral perspective Few investigations that have studied the relationship between leadership behavior and employees’ emotions in a corporate set up promise better result in the future provided more comprehensive research is conducted, and hence, the development of the following hypothesis.
H1) There exists a strong relationship between authentic leadership behavior and perceived success in organizational change based on the positive emotions elicited in workers.
H1b) There exists a weak correlation between authentic leadership behavior and perceived success in organizational change based on the negative emotions evoked in workers.
Methodology
This research aims at taking a quantitative approach towards testing the hypothesis and in turn, attempt to answer the proposed research question. The following section, therefore, presents the methods used for data collection, the research design, sampling, and the proposed data analysis techniques.
Research method and design
This study aims at identifying the relationship between leader behavior and successful organizational change with regards to employees’ emotions and hence, the incorporation of casual-comparative research design. This design is significantly based on the fact that it is used to establish a cause-effect relationship among three variables; authentic leadership behavior, successful organizational change, and employee’s emotions ( Almalki, 2016) . Additionally, the use of a quantitative approach is appropriate based on the three variables presented; with one independent variable, which is the successful implementation of organizational change.
Scholars have found that using this research design is helpful to a researcher who hopes to demonstrate a relationship between independent and dependent variables ( Patten & Newhart, 2017) . The research further involves the comparison of data to evaluate natural processes as well as the cause and effect relationship between leader behavior and employees’ emotions and in turn, the successful implementation of organizational change.
Sampling
A multi-organizational approach was selected as appropriate based on the fact that the study will focus on two sets of organizations. The focus lies primarily on the experiences of different employees during organizational changes from one set of organizations and the evaluation of the successful implementation of change based on different authentic leadership behaviors in the other set of organizations. These sets of companies will comprise of two companies each and hence a total of four companies under review. The study further focuses on companies within the US with a higher number of employees, and thus, small scale companies will be highly disregarded. The participants will be initially contacted through phone calls with follow up questionnaires sent through emails. Similarly, the participants will be guaranteed anonymity while consequently being asked to consider recent changes within the organization and their own experiences with each.
Instrumentation
This investigation will incorporate the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire proposed by Walumbwa et al., (2008). This tool is aimed at evaluating the traits of an authentic leader which will be compared to the successful implementation of change led by the leader within the organization concerned. Scholars have found this tool to be useful as it comprises of factors that will allow the research measure the extent of specific criteria such as self-awareness, transparency, moral and ethical conduct as well as balanced processing.
Data Collection
As described above, the data collection method will involve the use of a survey through questionnaires from selected employees from four organizations. Similarly, organizational reports will be evaluated for each company to determine the success or relative failure of each. A descriptive survey questionnaire will gather the necessary information for determining the relationship between multiple variables. While an exit poll may be incorporated into the data collection approach to quantify the responses, the primary focus will be on analyzing the responses from questionnaires.
Data Analysis
The collected data will be analyzed in two dimensions; first, the research will conduct cross-tabulation to draw inferences between the proposed variables and data sets collected from the various companies. This will contribute to the achievement of more profound insights with regards to the relationship between the three variables discussed earlier. Studies reveal that researchers gain more insight into what invokes emotions in employees with regards to leader behavior as well as the effect of the same on the successful implementation of organizational change ( Nardi, 2018) . Moreover, the second analysis technique is the use of descriptive statistics which will depict the emergence of patterns in the data collected from the different organizations. Studies reveal that descriptive statistics allow for the more straightforward interpretation of data and hence, the presentation of data in more meaningful ways for both the researcher and the intended audience.
Conclusion
There is an increasing interest in the effects of employees’ emotions on the successful implementation of organizational change within an organization. This paper has therefore discussed employee emotions, implementation of organizational change, and authentic leadership behavior. Additionally, based on the increasing need for constant change in the corporate world to allow businesses gain a competitive advantage, studies have been focusing on the role of authentic leadership as well as the internalized moral perspective as a dimension of the same. A critical analysis of the sources of employees’ emotions has revealed that a primary source is leaders’ moral behavior during the process of implementing change within the company. This, in turn, promotes trust and admiration in a leader provided there is evidence of positive, authentic leadership behavior. Additionally, the text has identified existing lack of adequate information with regards to the perceived effects of internalized moral perspective on an authentic leader's behavior as well as the influence of the latter on employees’ emotions and in turn the ability of the leader to facilitate successful organizational change.
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