A Cross-Sectional Methodological Study to Validate Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ) Among Selected Latin American Nursing Staff.

BACKGROUND: Authentic leadership has been associated with work-related well-being, job satisfaction, and quality of nursing care. However, psychometric evidence supporting instruments used to assess this construct remains limited across Latin American nursing contexts, highlighting the need for further validation studies. AIM: To evaluate evidence of validity for the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ) among nursing staff in a Latin American context. METHODS: This cross-sectional methodological study included 418 nursing staff members-registered nurses and nursing assistants-selected through proportional stratified sampling from a public high-complexity hospital in Cali, Colombia, between May and October 2025. SELF and RATER versions of the ALQ were evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis. Four measurement models were compared for each version: unidimensional, correlated four-factor, second-order, and bifactor models. The final model was assessed through standardized loadings, internal consistency (McDonald's omega, ordinal alpha, composite reliability), measurement invariance (configural, metric, scalar) between nursing staff members, and correlations with job satisfaction. RESULTS: The revised correlated four-factor model (excluding item 9) showed the best fit (ALQ-RATER: CFI= 0.998, TLI= 0.997, SRMR= 0.045, RMSEA= 0.079; ALQ-SELF: CFI= 0.996, TLI= 0.995, SRMR= 0.047, RMSEA= 0.050). Factor loadings were significant (RATER λ = 0.661-0.945; SELF λ = 0.671-0.897). Reliability was adequate (ALQ-RATER: ω = 0.883-0.938, ordinal α = 0.887-0.952, CR = 0.899-0.957; ALQ-SELF: ω = 0.801-0.847, ordinal α = 0.846-0.880, CR = 0.850-0.880). Configural, metric, and scalar invariance were supported. Registered nurses demonstrated significantly higher latent means across all authentic leadership dimensions than nursing assistants. All ALQ dimensions were positively associated with intrinsic job satisfaction (r = 0.287-0.550) and satisfaction with supervision (r = 0.336-0.633). CONCLUSION: The ALQ demonstrated evidence of structural validity, reliability, measurement invariance, and external validity among Colombian nursing staff. IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH MANAGEMENT SERVICES: The instrument can be used to assess authentic leadership in healthcare settings, support leadership development initiatives, and facilitate research examining its relationship with job satisfaction.