Authenticity at work – a job-demands resources perspective

When it's not safe to be me: employee authenticity mediates the effect of perceived manager psychopathy on employee well-being

BACKGROUND

Psychopathy in managers is often measured on global scales and associated with detrimental outcomes for subordinates, such as bullying and reduced well-being. Yet some features of psychopathy, like boldness, appear to have beneficial outcomes. Using the triarchic model of psychopathy, we differentiate between adaptive and maladaptive traits in managers and model their effects on employee engagement and burnout. In addition, we test the extent to which authenticity, known to ameliorate the effect of some negative experiences on well-being, might mediate the influence of managers' perceived psychopathic traits on employee well-being.

METHODS

In a two-wave study, full-time employees (N = 246) reported on their manager's psychopathic traits (boldness, meanness, disinhibition), their own authenticity and, six weeks later, their engagement and burnout.

RESULTS

In support of our hypotheses, manager boldness enhanced engagement and reduced burnout while meanness and disinhibition reduced engagement and increased burnout. Additionally, employee authenticity was a partial mediator of the effect of managerial psychopathy on engagement and burnout.

CONCLUSIONS

Perceived psychopathic traits in managers have the potential to influence whether employees feel able to be their authentic selves at work, which consequently affects their well-being. A work culture that values authenticity can directly improve well-being and help employees to deal with managerial behaviour that stems from maladaptive psychopathic traits. We also highlight the importance of discriminating between constituent psychopathic traits to identify the potentially adaptive nature of the boldness element of psychopathy.

Operationalizing the Culture of Burnout and Well-Being: Multicenter Study of Value Congruence and Flourishing in General Surgery Residency

BACKGROUND

Value congruence (VC) is the degree of alignment between worker and workplace values and is strongly associated with reduced job strain and retention. Within general surgery residency, the impact of VC and how to operationalize it to improve workplace well-being remain unclear.

STUDY DESIGN

This 2-part mixed-methods study comprised 2 surveys of US general surgery residents and qualitative interviews with program directors. In Part 1, January 2021, mixed-level surgical residents from 16 ACGME-accredited general surgery residency programs participated in survey #1. This survey was used to identify shared or conflicting perspectives on VC concerning well-being initiatives and resources. In April 2021, interviews from 8 institutions were conducted with 9 program directors or their proxies. In Part 2, May to June 2022, a similar cohort of surgical residents participated in survey #2. Unadjusted logistic and linear regression models were used in this survey to assess the association between VC and individual-level global well-being (ie flourishing), respectively.

RESULTS

In survey #1 (N = 300, 34% response rate), lack of VC was an emergent theme with subthemes of inaccessibility, inconsiderateness, inauthenticity, and insufficiency regarding well-being resources. Program directors expressed variable awareness of and alignment with these perceptions. In survey #2 (N = 251, 31% response rate), higher VC was significantly associated with flourishing (odds ratio 1.91, 95% CI 1.44 to 2.52, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Exploring the perceived lack of VC within general surgery residency reveals an important cultural variable for optimizing well-being and suggests open dialogue as a first step toward positive change. Future work to identify where and how institutional actions diminish perceived VC is warranted.

How trait gratitude relates to teachers' burnout and work engagement: job demands and resources as mediators

The benefits of gratitude in the workplace, in general, and for teachers, in particular, are still understudied. In the present study, we investigated whether teachers' trait gratitude is linked to their work engagement and burnout. Moreover, we explored whether perceived job demands and job resources mediate the relation between employees' gratitude and these two outcomes. A sample of 312 Romanian teachers participated in the study. Participants filled out questionnaires assessing trait gratitude, perceived job characteristics, as well as burnout and work engagement. Results indicated that teachers' trait gratitude was positively associated with their work engagement and negatively with burnout. The relation between trait gratitude and work engagement was mediated by perceived job resources, whereas the link between trait gratitude and burnout was mediated by both job demands and job resources. Our findings suggest that educational institutions could cultivate teachers' gratitude in order to create a healthier and more motivated workforce.

The Consequences of not Being Me: Longitudinal Examination of the Relations Among Anticipated Discrimination, Authenticity, and Counterproductive Work Behaviors

The current study examines the relations among anticipated discrimination, authenticity, and counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) in an employee population that is vulnerable to mistreatment—namely, employees with depression and bipolar disorder. Using a longitudinal research design, we collected data at 3 points in time from 279 individuals diagnosed with depression and/or bipolar disorder. We tested the extent to which authenticity mediated the relationship between anticipated discrimination and counterproductive work behaviors. Our results provided support for our research model. Thus, when individuals perceived that they were likely to be targets of discrimination due to their mental illness, it resulted in increased counterproductive work behaviors, and this effect was transmitted through decreased perceptions of authenticity. In addition, we tested stigma centrality and symptom severity moderators of the mediated relationships. We found support for symptom severity (but not stigma centrality) as a moderator in which the mediated relationship between anticipated discrimination and CWBs through authenticity was stronger for those with more severe symptoms.

Exploring the Effect of Team-Environment Fit in the Relationship Between Team Personality, Job Satisfaction, and Performance

This study explores whether team-organization fit (T-O fit) and team-job fit (T-J fit) play a mediating role between team personality, team job satisfaction, and team performance. Conscientiousness and openness to experience are common antecedents of team personality. Additionally, T-O fit and T-J fit are derived from person-environment fit theory, which is used to discuss the interaction between team members and the environment that affects behavior. The research purpose is to understand the factors that affect job satisfaction and performance from a team perspective. This is different from previous studies based on an individual perspective. The research object of this study has 365 respondents from 81 teams in different industries, and the structural equation modeling is applied to the empirical analysis. The research results show that T-J fit has a significant mediating effect on team personality and team job satisfaction. The team job satisfaction has also a significant mediating effect on team personality and team performance. Therefore, when team members recognize their work, they work harder to achieve team job satisfaction and performance. This study suggests that companies not only pay attention to the work abilities of employees, but also understand the fit between them and their jobs.

Mittendrin oder nur dabei?

Zusammenfassung. Subjektive Sichtweisen von Arbeitnehmenden mit dauerhaften gesundheitlichen Beeinträchtigungen (dgB) spielen in der quantitativen Forschung zur beruflichen Inklusion bisher eine untergeordnete Rolle. In der vorliegenden Fragebogenstudie wurden daher N = 1006 Betroffene zu ihrem Inklusionserleben, möglichen Konsequenzen, vermittelnden psychologischen Prozessen und der Rolle der Bedürfnisse nach Zugehörigkeit und Authentizität befragt. In Strukturgleichungsmodellierungen mittels Partial-Least-Squares zeigten sich signifikante Zusammenhänge zwischen Inklusionserleben und günstigen Ausprägungen von Indikatoren für Gesundheit, Wohlbefinden und Produktivität, die insbesondere durch eine verminderte affektive Rumination und eine positive Sichtweise auf das Leben mit einer dgB vermittelt wurden. Eine moderierende Rolle der Bedürfnisse nach Zugehörigkeit und Authentizität zeigte sich in den Daten nicht. Die Ergebnisse unterstreichen die Relevanz des Konstrukts Inklusionserleben für Forschung zu beruflicher Teilhabe und die Gestaltung inklusiver Arbeitsumgebungen.

Authenticity as Best-Self: The Experiences of Women in Law Enforcement

Law enforcement poses a difficult work environment. Employees’ wellbeing is uniquely taxed in coping with daily violent, aggressive and hostile encounters. These challenges are compounded for women, because law enforcement remains to be a male-dominated occupational context. Yet, many women in law enforcement display resilience and succeed in maintaining a satisfying career. This study explores the experience of being authentic from a best-self perspective, for women with successful careers in the South African police and traffic law enforcement services. Authenticity research substantiates a clear link between feeling authentic and experiencing psychological wellbeing. The theoretical assumption on which the study is based holds that being authentic relates to a sense of best-self and enables constructive coping and adjustment in a challenging work environment. A qualitative study was conducted on a purposive sample of 12 women, comprising 6 police officers and 6 traffic officers from the Western Cape province in South Africa. Data were gathered through narrative interviews focussing on experiences of best-self and were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. During the interviews, participants predominantly described feeling authentic in response to work-related events of a conflictual and challenging nature. Four themes were constructed from the data to describe authenticity from a best-self perspective for women in the study. These themes denote that the participating women in law enforcement, express feeling authentic when they present with a mature sense of self, feel spiritually congruent and grounded, experience self-actualisation in the work–role and realign to a positive way of being. Women should be empowered towards authenticity in their world of work, by helping them to acquire the best-self characteristics needed for developing authenticity.

Developing Sustainable Careers during a Pandemic: The Role of Psychological Capital and Career Adaptability

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has not only had negative effects on employees’ health, but also on their prospects to gain and maintain employment. Using a longitudinal research design with two measurement points, we investigated the ramifications of various psychological and organizational resources on employees’ careers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, in a sample of German employees (N = 305), we investigated the role of psychological capital (PsyCap) for four career-related outcomes: career satisfaction, career engagement, coping with changes in career due to COVID-19, and career-related COVID-19 worries. We also employed leader–member exchange (LMX) as a moderator and career adaptability as a mediating variable in these relationships. Results from path analyses revealed a positive association between PsyCap and career satisfaction and career coping. Furthermore, PsyCap was indirectly related to career engagement through career adaptability. However, moderation analysis showed no moderating role of LMX on the link between PsyCap and career adaptability. Our study contributes to the systematic research concerning the role of psychological and organizational resources for employees’ careers and well-being, especially for crisis contexts.

Objectification limits authenticity: Exploring the relations between objectification, perceived authenticity, and subjective well-being

Five studies (total valid N = 834) examined whether objectification (i.e., being treated as a tool or an object to achieve others' goals) reduces people's perceived authenticity and subjective well-being. Participants who experienced more objectification (Studies 1a and 1b), imagined being objectified (Study 2), or recalled a past objectification experience (Study 3) felt less authentic and reported lower levels of subjective well-being than their counterparts. Moreover, perceived authenticity mediated the link between objectification and subjective well-being (Studies 1a-3). In addition, offering objectified participants an opportunity to restore authenticity could enhance their well-being (Study 4). Taken together, our findings highlight the crucial role of authenticity in understanding when and why objectification decreases subjective well-being and how to ameliorate this relationship. Our findings also imply the effect of authenticity in understanding various psychological outcomes following objectification.

The role of work authenticity in linking strengths use to career satisfaction and proactive behavior: a two-wave study

Purpose

Although positive psychology asserts that authenticity comes from identifying and using our strengths, no quantitative research has been conducted to test that relationship. This study aims to examine the mediating role of work authenticity in linking strengths use to career satisfaction and proactive behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a two-wave survey with nurses in two large, acute hospitals in Japan (n = 298), a structural equation model was produced.

Findings

The results show that work authenticity fully mediated between strengths use and career satisfaction, and that work authenticity partially mediated between strengths use and proactive behavior.

Research limitations/implications

As work authenticity, career satisfaction and proactive behavior were measured at time 2, it is desirable to conduct a three-wave survey to measure these variables separately in future research.

Practical implications

It may be imperative to recognize that employees who use their strengths are satisfied with their careers only by enhancing authenticity at work.

Originality/value

The main contribution of this study was to identify the mediating role of work authenticity in linking strengths use to both career-related well-being and proactive work behaviors.

Exploring role of Indian workplace spirituality in stress management: a study of oil and gas industry

Purpose

The primary objective of the present study is to explore the relationship between workplace spirituality and work stress among offshore and onshore employees of the Indian oil and gas industry. The present study also tends to study the difference in the stress level of offshore and onshore employees of the Oil and Gas Industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The size of the sample for the present study was 202 respondents. It includes 128 onshore employees and 74 offshore employees of oil and gas companies. Respondents were mainly managers and supervisors working in various departments of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Cairn India, Reliance India Ltd (RIL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Indian Oil and Gas Ltd (IOCL). Since the different level of stress is experienced by employees at different stages of the organizational structure, thus study selected population comprising of managers and supervisors since they are believed to face similar work stressors. A variety of statistical tools like mean, t-test, correlation and multi-regression is used for the analysis of collected data.

Findings

Results show that all six dimensions of workplace spirituality are significantly negatively correlated with stress for onshore employees. However, the sense of community and gratitude are found insignificantly associated with stress for offshore employees. Stressful offshore conditions and excessive specialization might not allow offshore employees to cherish the community at the workplace and also the virtue of gratefulness. The offshore employees might have a certain level of gratitude and community system, but it is not sufficient for the employees to perceive a lower level of work relates to stress. The result gives the impression that the normal working conditions (onshore workplace) provide adequate opportunity to workplace spirituality to transcend its impact on work stress.

Originality/value

This is one of the pioneer studies that examined the role of workplace spirituality and stress in stress management of offshore and onshore employees of Indian Oil and gas companies.

To Disclose or Not to Disclose: A Multi-stakeholder Focus Group Study on Mental Health Issues in the Work Environment

Purpose Whether or not to disclose mental illness or mental health issues in the work environment is a highly sensitive dilemma. It can facilitate keeping or finding paid employment, but can also lead to losing employment or to not being hired, because of discrimination and stigma. Research questions were: (1) what do stakeholders see as advantages and disadvantages of disclosing mental illness or mental health issues in the work environment?; (2) what factors are of influence on a positive outcome of disclosure? Methods A focus group study was conducted with five different stakeholder groups: people with mental illness, Human Resources professionals, employers, work reintegration professionals, and mental health advocates. Sessions were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. Thematic content analysis was performed by two researchers using AtlasTi-7.5. Results were visually represented in a diagram to form a theoretical model. Results Concerning (dis-)advantages of disclosure, six themes emerged as advantages (improved relationships, authenticity, work environment support, friendly culture) and two as disadvantages (discrimination and stigma). Of influence on the disclosure outcome were: Aspects of the disclosure process, workplace factors, financial factors, and employee factors. Stakeholders generally agreed, although distinct differences were also found and discussed in the paper. Conclusion As shown from the theoretical model, the (non-)disclosure process is complex, and the outcome is influenced by many factors, most of which cannot be influenced by the individual with mental illness. However, the theme 'Aspects of the disclosure process', including subthemes: who to disclose to, timing, preparation, message content and communication style is promising for improving work participation of people with mental illness or mental health issues, because disclosers can positively influence these aspects themselves.

Human Values and Work Engagement: The Mediating Role of Authenticity Among Workers in a Spanish Religious Organization

Nowadays religious organizations play a leading role in the third sector, contributing to maintaining the welfare state in a large number of countries in sectors such as health, education or social services, among others. These organizations provide a service to their users, aiming to transmit the predominant values in their mission statement and simultaneously promote both authenticity and work engagement in their employees. Indeed, the purpose of this article is to evaluate the link between human values and work engagement, as well as the mediating role of authenticity in this relationship. To this end, 938 workers of a Catholic religious organization, which constitutes a relatively unexplored context, is employed. To test the research model and hypotheses, this investigation uses PLS (Partial Least Squares). It covers two notable research gaps. First, the results confirm the direct links between human values, authenticity and work engagement within the context of religious organizations. Second, they provide evidence of the mediating role exercised by authenticity in the relationship between human values and work engagement.

How career adaptability can enhance career satisfaction: Exploring the mediating role of person–job fit

This study examined the operation of resources as a mechanism underlying the relationship between career adaptability and career satisfaction. Based on career construction theory and conservation of resources theory, we examined the interactive effects of career adaptability, career satisfaction, person–job fit, and job uncertainty. The results of two-wave data collection from 234 full-time workers revealed that employees with stronger career adaptability were more likely to report career satisfaction. The full mediating effect was found of person–job fit. Specifically, we found that career adaptability enhances person–job fit, which results in greater career satisfaction. Additional analysis revealed that job uncertainty interferes with the mediation model. We identified a new antecedent of career satisfaction (i.e., person–job fit) and revealed the functional mechanism underlying the effect of this antecedent. This study provides novel insights valuable to the field of career management.

The Authentic Moral Self: Dynamic Interplay between Perceived Authenticity and Moral Behaviors in the Workplace

Authentic experiences are deeply tied to human existential concerns and have implications for psychological well-being and optimal functioning. Importantly, previous studies suggest a mutually reinforcing relationship between authenticity and moral behaviors. The current research aims to extend this line of research to work-specific contexts. We found, among two U.S. samples that (a) perceiving oneself as having behaved morally prompted feelings of authenticity at work (Study 1), (b) people who tried to be authentic (vs. be realistic or rational) were less willing to engage in immoral behaviors at workplace (Study 2), and among a Chinese sample that (c) daily fluctuations in morality and authenticity covaried with each other, both contributing positively to job satisfaction and meaning in work (Study 3). Together, the findings demonstrate a bidirectional relationship between moral behaviors and authenticity in the workplace.

Safeguarding Health at the Workplace: A Study of Work Engagement, Authenticity and Subjective Wellbeing among Religious Workers

Research in work and organizational psychology has paid little attention to religious workers, something certainly surprising as faith-based organizations play a key role in the welfare state of many countries. This research shows that religious workers in a Catholic order present a high degree of subjective wellbeing, both in terms of flourishing and satisfaction with life in general, and a positive balance of positive and negative feelings. More specifically, this study examines the relationship between authenticity and wellbeing amongst religious workers. Survey responses from 142 religious workers in Spain were analyzed using partial least squares path modelling. The results reveal that subjective wellbeing at work is positively related to authenticity. In addition, this relationship is mediated by their level of work engagement.

Authenticity at Work: A Matter of Fit?

Authenticity at work refers to the extent to which a worker feels in touch with their true self while at work. At first sight this concept seems to overlap with the concept of person-environment (P-E) fit, that is, the degree to which an individual experiences good fit with their work environment. Drawing on a sample of 867 Dutch gifted workers, structural equation modeling was used to investigate (i) whether authenticity at work and P-E fit can be distinguished, and (ii) how authenticity at work and P-E fit were associated with employee well-being. As expected, confirmatory factor analysis revealed that authenticity at work and P-E fit were distinct from each other. Moreover, the mediated effect of authenticity at work was stronger for two negative forms of well-being (burnout and boredom) than for two positive forms of well-being (work engagement and job satisfaction). The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed, especially focusing on the distinction between authenticity and P-E fit.

Authenticity at work: a moderated mediation analysis

Purpose

This paper aims to test a moderated mediation model linking person-environment fit with workplace outcomes (engagement, meaning at work and performance) through authenticity (authentic living and self-alienation). Self-deception was included as a moderator of these relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 163 employees in a large department using an online survey. The hypotheses were tested using the PROCESS Macro for SPSS, which conducts bootstrapped moderated mediation analyses.

Findings

Results showed that person-environment fit facets were positively related to engagement, meaning and performance through authentic living and negatively related through self-alienation. These relationships were significant at low to moderate levels of self-deception.

Research/limitations implications

Despite its small sample size, this study used a time-lagged design to mitigate the limitations associated with cross-sectional studies. Further, it expanded the research on authenticity in the workplace by illustrating the interplay of authenticity with fit, self-deception and workplace outcomes.

Practical implications

Organisations stand to gain from encouraging authenticity at work, and this can be achieved by ensuring person-environment fit. While self-deception can act as a protective factor against low perceptions of person-environment fit, organisations should strive to create a culture that values diversity and self-expression.

Originality/value

This study is among the first to explore authenticity at work and the first to empirically examine the authenticity and person-environment fit relationship in relation to outcomes, considering individual propensity for motivated bias.

Authenticity and Subjective Wellbeing within the Context of a Religious Organization

Although authenticity has a long history as a philosophical and psychological idea, this concept has received scarce attention in the business literature until very lately. Nevertheless, scholars belonging to a broad array of disciplines have pointed out the escalation in the individuals’ search for authenticity within developed societies. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to assess the link between authenticity and subjective wellbeing within the rarely explored context of faith-driven organizations, where the management of emotions attains a particular significance. Specifically, this study links authenticity with subjective wellbeing among the distinct groups that shape a large international Catholic organization. This study uses Partial Least Squares (PLS) to test our research model and hypotheses. This paper covers two noteworthy research gaps. On the one hand, it provides evidence of the relationship between authenticity and subjective wellbeing within the context of religious organizations. On the other hand, our results suggest that this relationship is not homogeneous among the distinct groups that shape the organization. Implications of the research are finally discussed.