Purpose: The general purpose of this research was to analyze the effects of the perception of authentic leadership on work engagement and organizational citizenship behavior through motivation for work. Design/Methodology/Approach: With a cross-sectional design, the data were obtained from 300 employees belonging to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in all the provinces of Ecuador, establishing causal relationships through regression and confirmatory factor analysis and

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... g the structural equation model. Findings: The results indicated support for previous studies and demonstrated that authentic leadership positively predicts work engagement and organizational citizenship behavior. Moreover, the findings revealed new insights into the positive and significant effects of authentic leadership on work engagement and organizational citizenship behavior through the satisfaction of needs for work motivation. The results revealed the importance of the perception of authentic leadership components among employees to satisfy needs for work motivation as a mediating variable of work engagement and organizational citizenship behavior as a driver of productivity in organizations. Practical implications: Organization development professionals must carry out activities that facilitate strategies to satisfy needs as catalysts for the relationship between authentic leadership, work engagement, and organizational citizenship behavior. Originality/value: This research provides new causal relationships between four constructs by analyzing leadership's direct and indirect effects.