Concept Of Authentic Leadership Research Articles

A conceptual model of authentic leadership in cross-cultural context

The objective of this research paper is to present a conceptual model of authentic leadership in a cross-cultural context, aimed at exploring how cultural elements influence the development and perception of leaders’ authenticity. This model draws upon authentic leadership development model and incorporates a followership perspective to study authentic leadership. It posits that culture assumes three critical roles within this framework: expanding, enabling, and encoding. In the expanding role, the concept of authentic leadership is broadened in scope due to varying self-concepts across cultures as individuals from different cultural backgrounds express diverse expectations of what an authentic leader should be. In the enabling role, exposure to different cultures through international experiences enable leaders to enhance their cross-cultural psychological capital and cultural intelligence, allowing them to navigate variations in authenticity effectively. Finally, for the encoding role, the perception of leader’s authenticity, which is related to behavioral integrity, value congruence, and emotional authenticity, becomes intricate as the three factors are encoded due to the differences between leader’s and follower’s cultural norms and values.

Fostering Workplace Innovation through CSR and Authentic Leadership: Evidence from SME Sector

The cut-throat situation of competitiveness in almost every business sector, followed by globalization, shortened product life cycles, and rapid technological changes have raised the importance of innovation to overrun the rivals. Scholars have established that appropriate leadership style is a key enabler for organizational success. However, it is not clear in existing literature how the concept of authentic leadership is related to innovative work behavior (IWB). Likewise, the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) to induce IWB is also vague in current literature. Thus, the basic purpose of the current study was to test the relationship of CSR and IWB with the mediating effect of authentic leadership. The proposed model was tested in the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) sector of China. The data were collected through a questionnaire that was distributed among different respondents of the current survey. The data were obtained from a dyad of supervisor and subordinate serving in different SMEs in Wuhan city of China. The study used the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique to validate different hypotheses. The empirical results confirm that CSR positively relates to IWB while authentic leadership partially mediates this relationship. The findings of the current survey will be helpful for policymakers to recognize employees as a source of innovation through CSR and authentic leadership.

The fallacy of discrete authentic leader behaviours: Locating authentic leadership in interaction

The concept of authentic leadership is increasingly the focus of much leadership scholarship, and many have called for a review of the basic assumptions that underpin it. Taking an interactional approach to authentic leadership (AL) and using naturally occurring workplace interaction as data, we seek to question two basic assumptions of AL scholarship, namely (1) that authentic leadership emanates from the atomized leader and (2) that there is a causal logic to it so that authentic leadership behaviours are the cause of follower outcomes. Addressing the research questions – what is the nature of the empirical phenomenon that is called AL and where can this be ontologically located? – our findings indicate that these two fundamental assumptions that underpin current AL research are not justified. Rather, what is taken to be AL is better understood as a collective and collaborative achievement, which can neither simply be attributed to the leader nor can the leader’s actions alone lead to follower outcomes.

Authentic Leadership: A Value-Laden Leader

A new type of leadership that is genuine and values based laden known as authentic leadership has emerged (Zhang, Bowers, & Mao, 2020). This form of leadership acknowledges and accommodates the legitimate needs of cultures, communities, organizations, groups and even individuals in an integrative way, rather than only being centred around organizational perspectives (Begley, 2001). George and Sims (2007, pp. 131–132) described authentic leaders as: ‘develop self-awareness from their experiences; act on that awareness by practicing their values, sometimes at substantial risk; balance their motivations with both internal and external drives; keep a strong support team around themselves; and, live integrated, grounded lives’. Early critiques to emerging authentic leadership theories described it as lacking some of the key elements of an effective leader. Particularly, it lacks focus on the leader but rather focused on the process and leadership practices a leader enacts to influence their followers (Zhang, Bowers, & Mao, 2020). Crawford et al. (2020, p. 22) later defined authentic leaders as initials who ‘influence and motivate followers to achieve goals through their sincerity and positive moral perspective, enabled through heightened awareness and balanced processing’. Other researchers concluded authentic leaders are individuals who exhibit behaviours in four ways: self-awareness; relational transparency; balanced processing; and internalized moral perspective (Shapira-Lishchinsky & Levy-Gazenfrantz, 2016; Shapira-Lishchinsky & Tsemach, 2014). Kulophas et al. (2015) placed the concept of authentic leadership in an educational context. They viewed authentic school leaders as one ‘who aspires to understand oneself and their teachers and behave in accordance to one’s core values to steer the school towards its goals’. Authentic educational leaders focus on their self-knowledge, is sensitive to the orientations of others that leads to a synergy of leadership action (Srivastava & Dhar, 2019). Authentic leaders have the inner ability to practice what they preach and lead their followers by setting examples (Srivastava & Shree, 2019). Furthermore, authentic leaders are motivated to encourage their followers to become leaders in the future (Wang et al., 2014). However, developing authenticity in a school principal is not an easy task (Srivastava & Dhar, 2016). This is due to the school’s limited context that depends on spontaneous situations to occurs in schools. Thus, developing authentic leadership in a school principal requires specific guidelines (Srivastava & Shree, 2019). Branson (2007) stressed authentic leaders should believe in reflective practicing via analyzing and implementing their own values. This clearly indicates that authentic school leaders must adhere to their values before taking any decision (Srivastava & Dhar, 2019). Principals should analyse the situation and implement what they believe is good for all as their decisions affect every section of the education community. A growing body of evidence has identified principals’ authentic leadership as being related to a series of school desirable outcomes such as teachers’ attitude towards their profession and behaviour, more specifically, organizational citizenship and withdrawal behaviour (Shapira-Lishchinsky & Tsemach, 2014), teacher trust (Fox et al., 2015), emotional intelligence (Shapira-Lishchinsky & Levy-Gazenfrantz, 2016), psychological capital (Feng, 2016), academic optimism (Kulophas et al., 2018), teachers’ intentions to return (Bird et al., 2012) and work engagement (Kulophas et al., 2018; Wang & Bird, 2011). However, the body of knowledge is still relatively limited. Thus, researching more about how principals enact authentic leadership in schools to drive their school towards its goals is critical.

The links between psychological capital, social capital, and work-related performance – A study of service sales representatives

This paper explores the linkages between psychological capital (PsyCap), social capital (SosCap), and work-related performance. Specifically, our aim is twofold. First, the study examines whether and how PsyCap relates to three types of work-related performance: innovative behaviour (IB), job engagement (JE), and sales performance (SP). Second, it examines the relationship between PsyCap and the structural dimension of SosCap, which is represented in this study by the concept of authentic leadership (AL), the relational dimension of SosCap, represented by the supportive organisational climate (SOC) variable, and work-related performance, reflected in the variables IB, JE, and SP. A conceptual model was developed and tested using a survey of frontline service sales representatives of car dealerships. The findings reveal that PsyCap is directly linked to IB, JE, and SP. AL, the structural dimension of SosCap, and SOC, the relational dimension of SosCap, were both directly linked to PsyCap. The findings also reveal that the relationships between AL, SOC, IB, JE, and SP are all mediated by PsyCap. AL is directly related to SOC. The relationship between AL and PsyCap is mediated by SOC. This study indicates that PsyCap and SosCap are symbiotic resources. Specifically, it contributes fresh knowledge regarding how organisations can capitalise on the resources of PsyCap and SosCap to improve work-related performance.

Authentic Leadership and Organization Citizenship Behavior: A Case of Pakistani Electronic News Media Industry

The role of leadership in an organizational system has remained of central concern in organization studies. Over the time, the emergence of various theories has unfolded the unique influential roles of leadership embedded in organizational management. Among various leadership styles and theories, a relatively new concept of Authentic Leadership (AL) is worthy of attention with respect to the changing demands of the media industry. The origin of the concept of authenticity is found in ancient Greek philosophy and it is defined in history as “being true to oneself”. Trust is the basic constituent based on which people can count on one another and work together in a conducive environment. AL is an idea to leadership that focuses on developing leader’s legitimacy via “honest relationships with followers”. In this study, AL is measured through four dimensions that include Self-awareness, Balanced Processing, Moral Perspective and Relational Transparency. Media is expected to be a watchdog on affairs of the state and government, therefore, the public requires media industry to be responsive, transparent and unbiased based on principles of ethics and true reporting. In order to achieve a positive environment and culture in the organization, this study focuses on the idea of Organization Citizenship Behavior (OCB) in connection with AL. This paper investigates the relationship between the said variables and tries to find out the impact of AL on OCB, for that matter, a quantitative research strategy has been followed. Respondents for this study were conveniently selected from bureau offices of six news channels making the sample size to be 220

Authentic leadership in sport: Its relationship with athletes’ enjoyment and commitment and the mediating role of autonomy and trust

Consequences of leadership styles have become a noteworthy area of research for sport psychology researchers. However, there is scant research on the concept of authentic leadership. To date, research in sport has demonstrated that authentic leadership is associated with positive outcomes for athletes such as satisfaction, commitment, trust and perceptions of choice. In this study, we examined whether athletes’ perceptions of coach authentic leadership were associated with their commitment and enjoyment and whether trust in coach and perceived autonomy mediated these relationships. Participants were 435 athletes (female = 211) from team (e.g. football, hockey; n = 338) and individual sports (e.g. boxing, swimming; n = 97) who completed questionnaires about perceived authentic leadership of their coach, perceived autonomy and trust in their coach and their enjoyment and commitment. Structural equation modelling revealed that athletes’ perceptions of their coach authentic leadership were positively related to their enjoyment and commitment and these relationships were mediated by perceived autonomy and trust. The findings suggest that authentic leadership in coaches may facilitate enjoyment and commitment in athletes, and this may occur via autonomy and trust.

Reflections on the Concept of Authentic Leadership: From an Indigenous Scholar/Leader Perspective

The Problem This article draws on the author’s experiences as an American Indian administrator and faculty member in a public university. The dilemma presented here revolves around her struggle to reconcile her identity as an Indigenous person with the values, beliefs, and priorities of an academic institution solidly rooted in Western structures and traditions. The Solution The author draws on this dilemma as she reflects on the concept of authentic leadership as a practicable goal for Indigenous leaders within the academy. In doing so, she cites the need for a nuanced conception of authentic leadership that takes into account the complex identities of Indigenous peoples. The Stakeholders The dilemma presented here can be used by human resource development scholars and practitioners as a tool for examining and understanding the ways in which the concept of authentic leadership both conflicts and resonates with the personal and professional values of Indigenous scholars/leaders within academic environments.

A Study on the Effect of Authentic Leadership on the Employee Turnover Tendency - Focusing on the Mediating Role of Leader-Member Exchange -

随着世界经济的不稳定增长和经济体的丑闻事件的曝光，真实型领导力这一构成概念开始被人们所 关注。中国各种食品安全丑闻等一些列信任危机给中国企业诚信形象带来了巨大的挑战；而作为企业 核心的管理者被人们寄予了巨大期待，期望他们能领导组织及成员摆脱这种不稳定低信任困境。 同时，社会离职率居高不下也是近些年来困扰社会的一大难题。高离职率给企业发展带来了很大阻 碍，企业效率低下、不必要成本支出增多、组织内部凝聚力下降、组织和成员的压力增加等现象无不 说明降低离职率、提高员工忠诚度的对策研究势在必行。关于离职率的影响因素分析大多来自工作满 意度等态度变量，但是工作中上级领导的行为态度、与上级的关系、与同组织成员的关系都有密切关 联。因此,本文主要研究上级的真实型领导力对员工离职倾向的影响，并引入了上级-下属互换理论作 为中介变量。 本文采用问卷调查法，调查对象是中国企业和政府的基层员工，样本主要集中在吉林、北京、厦 门、上海等地。有效问卷共143份。本文使用SPSS进行了实证分析，得到结论有：1）在组织中，真 实型领导力及其4个维度（诚实不欺、自我意识、内化道德观、下属导向）能有效减少员工离职倾向 的产生；2）在组织中，高水平的上级-下属互换质量将有效减少员工离职倾向；3）在组织中，真实型 领导力与上级-下属互换质量存在正向相关；4）在组织中，上级-下属互换质量在真实型领导力与员工 离职倾向之间起中介作用。With the world economy s unstable growth and the exposure of the scandal of the economy, the concept of authentic leadership has begun to be concerned by people. A series of food safety scandals in China has brought great challenges to the integrity of Chinese enterprises. Managers as the core of enterprise has been placed great expectations for leading people to get rid of these unstable and low trust difficulties. At the same time, the high rate of social turnover is also a major problem in recent years to haunt the community. High turnover rate has brought a lot of obstacles to the enterprise development, such as the low efficiency of enterprises, the increase of unnecessary cost expenses, the decrease of the internal cohesion, the increase of the pressure of the organization and the members. All of these imply the necessity to make a study to solve these problems. Most of the influencing factors of turnover rate were mainly from the attitude variables such as job satisfaction. But it also highly related to the behavior and attitude of the superior, the interaction with superior and the interaction with coworkers. Therefore, this paper mainly studies the impact of the higher level of authentic leadership on employee turnover tendency. And it also made sense of the mediating effect that the leader-member exchange made in the relationship between authentic leadership and turnover tendency. In this article, we use the questionnaire survey method, and the targets are the employees who work in the enterprises and government in China. The samples are mainly from Jilin, Beijing, Xiamen, and Shanghai. We recovered a total of 143 questionnaires. This article uses SPSS to carry on the empirical analysis. The results of the research were, 1) the authentic leadership and its 4 dimensions can effectively reduce the turnover tendency. 2) High level of leader-member exchange will effectively reduce the turnover tendency. 3) Authentic leadership is positively related to the leader-member exchange. 4) Leader-member exchange has a mediating effect on the relationship between authentic leadership and turnover tendency.

Self, follower, organization and the context – a cross cultural view of authentic leadership

Purpose– Scholars have argued that it is important to investigate how authentic leadership is manifested in different cultures (Avolioet al., 2005; Gardiner, 2011; Shamir and Eilam, 2005). Hence the purpose of this paper is to capture a cross-cultural view of authentic leadership, using a sample of South Asian leaders.Design/methodology/approach– Because of a dearth of qualitative empirical evidence, the authors adopted a “life story” approach to collect data. A total of 14 leaders from India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka were interviewed to share their leadership experiences.Findings– Findings indicate that the concept of authentic leadership is culturally relevant. It emerged as a multi-dimensional construct constituting self-concept, follower development, organizational outcomes and culture (Meacham, 2007), and contextual knowledge. The authors propose a cross-cultural model of authentic leadership.Research limitations/implications– Research limitations include researchers’ possible biases in design of data and an assumption that leaders interviewed were authentic. Despite these limitations, the study provides valuable insights about authentic leadership to strengthen its theoretical foundation.Social implications– Organizational and social problems in South Asian are often attributed to a leadership deficit (Khan, 2014; Khilji, 2013; National Post, 2014; Sardesai, 2013). This study provides evidence of transformative authentic leaders in South Asia who are engaged with their and followers’ authentic growth, and are building authentic cultures for positive organizational outcomes.Originality/value– The value of the present research is in providing qualitative empirical evidence from South Asia, and proposing a cross-cultural model of authentic leadership.

Do they [all] see my true self? Leader's relational authenticity and followers' assessments of transformational leadership

Responding to calls for a more positive and holistic perspective on leadership, Gardner, Avolio, Luthans, May, and Walumbwa (2005), Ilies, Morgeson, and Nahrgang (2005), and Luthans and Avolio (2003) have discussed the concept of authentic leadership. However, up to this point, little is known on how leader authenticity influences leader relationships with followers. Consistent with the overall theme of this special issue, we seek to fill this gap by investigating empirically how leader authenticity predicts transformational leadership behaviours. Specifically, we focus on relational authenticity as a component of authenticity because it has been argued to be particularly salient for interpersonal relationships (Ilies et al., 2005). We further propose that leader authenticity is associated with a greater convergence of followers' perceptions of transformational leadership behaviours. Finally, we predict that not all group members will be influenced by leader authenticity to the same extent. Instead, we hypothesize and find that more critical group members are especially likely to be positively influenced by leader authenticity.