Exploring Essential Drivers and Antecedents of Workplace Authenticity

Abstract

This symposium focuses on advancing the field's understanding of authenticity by moving beyond the more typical examination of its outcomes, to instead consider a broad spectrum of drivers or antecedents to feeling authentic in the workplace. Using various theoretical frameworks (e.g. emotional labor, self-determination theory, authentic leadership) and empirical approaches (e.g., field surveys, quasi experiments, scenarios), this diverse group of papers explicitly considers how aspects of the individual (e.g., self-serving biases, motives, gender, and political skills), the leader or manager, developmental coaching, and the broader work context (e.g., authenticity climate, task interdependence) facilitate feelings of authenticity in various work settings. By bringing these studies together, we hope to generate an increased interest in investigating the antecedents of authenticity across a variety of organizational contexts, and provide a forum to facilitate future collaborative efforts.