PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effect of person-organization value congruence between the authentic leadership of head nurses and the organizational citizenship behavior perceived by hospital nurses. METHODS: The participants were 211 nurses working in 3 general hospitals located in C-city, in South Korea. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, Scheffé test, Pearson correlations and structural equation model (SEM) with the PASW 24 and AMOS 24 program. RESULTS: Authentic leadership of head nurses had a statistically significant positive correlation with person-organization value congruence (r=.34, p < .001). Also, authentic leadership of head nurses (r=.50, p < .001), and person-organization value congruence (r=.62, p < .001) showed a statistically significant positive correlation with organizational citizenship behavior. There was a partial mediating effect of person-organization value congruence between authentic leadership of head nurse and organizational citizenship behavior perceived by hospital nurses (χ2=205.78, p < .001). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that nurse managers need to improve the person-organization value congruence and authentic leadership of head nurses to reinforce organizational citizenship behavior of nurses in human resource management.