Authenticity is a philosophical and psychological concept with origin in Greek philosophy that means being true to oneself. The twenty-first-century corporations' increased complexity and multiple cooperate scandals have created a demand for application of the concept of authenticity into leadership – resulting in the concept of authentic leadership. Authentic leadership is something leaders should strive for since it shows to have a significant impact on work engagement, team effectiveness, financial performance, and work satisfaction, to name a few. Due to the many advantages of authentic leadership, multiple measurement tools have been created to identify and measure the authenticity in leaders. The idea of authentic leadership to be a measurable concept has received criticism and acknowledgment within the research field. Even though research states that authentic leadership is gendered, there is no consideration of gender in the existing measurement tools for authentic leadership. Men and women meet different conditions in life, careers, and as leaders, and due to the long history of male leaders, the norm of leadership builds on the male gender. The purpose of this study is three folded: Firstly, the study aims to understand how authenticity in leaders can be identified. Secondly, the circumstances that affect authentic leadership development will be explored. And lastly, the relationship between gender and authentic leadership development will be investigated. To fulfill the purpose, mixed methods have been applied. Six qualitative interviews chosen with theoretical and snowball sampling have been performed. Based on the learnings from the literature review and interviews, a quantitative questionnaire has been sent out to 327 persons. The study's findings show that identifying authenticity can be accomplished by different approaches: Questionnaire, in-depth interviews, and through a feeling. The circumstances that affect authentic leadership development are dependent on the formations of the factors and a person's level of self-awareness. Lastly, authentic leadership is challenging for both men and women since the male prototype of leaders can hinder both genders.

Tragic, life-changing, and fatal incidents are a reality on large-scale, civil construction projects. Despite a decline following the enforcement of the 1971 Occupational Safety and Health Act, serious and fatal incidents on heavy construction projects remain higher than that of the active military and have not declined in any notable way in the past decade. Industrial-organizational literature suggested a lack of applied testing for the well-developed theory of authentic leadership (AL) to impact safety outcomes. This quasi-experiment combined the constructs of authentic leadership with safety climate perception as quantifiable measurement of potential safety outcomes in the workplace. The research question focused on whether AL would impact safety climate, thus, reducing injury and fatalities on the job. The researcher examined 1 of the 4 segments that comprised a $1 billion freeway improvement project. Perceptions of 108 field craft personnel were collected on a Likert-type instrument before and after their supervisors attended a brief AL workshop. Utilizing an ordinal scale, statistical significance was calculated pre- and postintervention by computing a Mann-Whitney U for independent samples. Significant improvement was found following the supervisor workshop. The reduction in incidents, when compared to the jobsite's history and the other 3 jobsite segments associated with the highway improvement project, suggests a potential for this framework to support positive social change, that is, to reduce the human cost and suffering associated with industrial accidents.

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This thesis explores leadership from an inverted or inner perspective of a leader. It draws on humanistic, psychological approaches to leadership, and develops a theory of systemic, constructivist leadership. While systemic, constructivist concepts are well known and accepted methods in therapy, counselling, coaching, and organisational consulting, in leadership there is still a gap between theory and practise. In this study systemic, constructivist ideas such as self-organization of human systems, radical constructivism, and systems theory are transferred, through an experiential learning project to leadership practise. Previous research (Steinkellner, 2005) indicated that in addition to the understanding of systemic theory and the application of systemic interventions, the specific mental attitude of a leader is required. So this thesis (1) explores the qualities of the mental attitude of a systemic, constructivist leader, (2) reflects on the transformation of the self of a leader in an experiential learning process, and (3) develops a theory of systemic, constructivist leadership. The methodology is heuristic inquiry, which involves the subjectivity of the researcher, and includes introspective procedures such as self-searching, self-dialogue, and self-discovery (Moustakas, 1990). Its focus on the inner perspective of a leader is unusual, if not unique. Various concepts from humanistic psychology including tacit knowledge (Polanyi & Sen, 2009), awareness (Perls, 1973), and focusing (Gendlin, 2003) were applied to transcend the concept of rationality both in science and in business. The main contributions of this study are: the description of a theory of systemic, constructivist leadership and; the design of appropriate training to implement this.

For many years there has been a gap in knowledge about female and male leadership. Although the debate on gender is very tangible, the topic still remains an unfinished debate and challenge. Due to the unequal distribution of power, there is an endeavour to understand the differences between the leadership styles of women and men, but as of yet there are no direct and clear answers to this. The study was conducted due to the fact that women historically have had less access to leadership positions, and to fill the existing knowledge gap in research on this area. The purpose of this study was to examine and compare leadership styles between women and men, and to compare perceived influencing factors on leadership. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews consisting of both competency-based and semi-structured questions. A total of six interviews were conducted, three with women and three with men. The results of the study showed minimal differences in leadership styles, without a specific gender pattern. Instead, it appeared that the differences in leadership styles were individual-based, which raises questions about why there is an overrepresentation of men in leadership positions. However, the image of the stereotypical leader was challenged by the fact that the men in this study tended to adopt more stereotypically feminine characteristics. The results also showed how previous experience and feedback were perceived as important influencing factors by the majority of the respondents. Finally, based on the results of the study, suggestions for future studies were presented in terms of exploring and challenging the image of the stereotypical leader.

The performance of state-owned enterprises in Namibia has been in the spotlight for many years, resulting in the Government of the Republic of Namibia to introduce interventions and strategies to address and improve this performance. The poor performance of state-owned enterprises has been studied in terms of financial aspects with less attention, however, on human resources as a key success factor in contributing to performance. Studying performance in terms of the human resources is an important area for research and intervention. The Government introduced several measures to ensure the efficient governance and monitoring of state-owned enterprises and to ensure that they are performing to the satisfaction and expectations of the stakeholder. These measures included the introduction of the State-Owned Enterprises Act (Act 2 of 2006) of Namibia, as well as governance structures to ensure that the performance of state-owned enterprises is properly maximised. Despite these efforts by the Government to regulate state-owned enterprises with the intention to improve performance, to date the poor performance of state-owned enterprises is still a topical issue in Namibia. Almost a decade after the promulgation of the State-Owned Enterprises Act, in 2006, the government is still financially bailing out a number of the state-owned enterprises. State-owned enterprises need to take a positive approach that recognise and leverage human resources for contribution to sustainable growth, competitive advantage and performance. Positively oriented high-performance work practices are conceptualised within the context of positive organisational behaviour. Positive organisational behaviour as characterised in the form of psychological capital, with antecedents such as authentic leadership and supportive organisational climate and employee outcomes such as job satisfaction, intention to leave, engagement in the Namibian state-owned enterprises context are the main focus of this study. The study aimed to assess the relationship between psychological capital, authentic leadership, supportive organisational climate, job satisfaction, intention to leave, employee engagement and performance for employees in state-owned enterprises in Namibia. A cross-sectional survey design was used to gather data regarding all these constructs as experienced by employees. A convenience sample (N = 452) of employees from 20 state-owned enterprises participated in the study. The measuring instruments used were the Psychological Capital Questionnaire, Performance-related Attitudinal Questionnaire, Job Satisfaction Scale, Turnover Intention Scale, Engagement Scale, Authentic Leadership Questionnaire, Supportive Organisational Climate Questionnaire and a biographical questionnaire. The results of study 1 showed that authentic leadership was positively associated with psychological capital (i.e. experiences of hope, optimism, self-efficacy and resilience) and job satisfaction. Authentic leadership affected job satisfaction indirectly via psychological capital. Psychological capital had a medium to large indirect effect on employees’ intentions to leave. The findings suggest that authentic leadership and psychological capital explain job satisfaction and retention of employees in state-owned enterprises. Study 2 showed that authentic leadership and psychological capital predicted employee engagement. A supportive organisational climate was related to employee engagement on individual level, but only if authentic leadership and psychological capital were not included in the model. Psychological capital mediated the relation between authentic leadership and employee engagement on an individual level in state owned enterprises. The results of study 3 showed that authentic leadership and a supportive organisational climate had a positive impact on psychological capital. Psychological capital predicted job performance on an individual level. Psychological capital was not associated with organisational performance. Recommendations for interventions to promote psychological capital, its antecedents and outcomes were made.

The performance of state-owned enterprises in Namibia has been in the spotlight for many years, resulting in the Government of the Republic of Namibia to introduce interventions and strategies to address and improve this performance. The poor performance of state-owned enterprises has been studied in terms of financial aspects with less attention, however, on human resources as a key success factor in contributing to performance. Studying performance in terms of the human resources is an important area for research and intervention. The Government introduced several measures to ensure the efficient governance and monitoring of state-owned enterprises and to ensure that they are performing to the satisfaction and expectations of the stakeholder. These measures included the introduction of the State-Owned Enterprises Act (Act 2 of 2006) of Namibia, as well as governance structures to ensure that the performance of state-owned enterprises is properly maximised. Despite these efforts by the Government to regulate state-owned enterprises with the intention to improve performance, to date the poor performance of state-owned enterprises is still a topical issue in Namibia. Almost a decade after the promulgation of the State-Owned Enterprises Act, in 2006, the government is still financially bailing out a number of the state-owned enterprises. State-owned enterprises need to take a positive approach that recognise and leverage human resources for contribution to sustainable growth, competitive advantage and performance. Positively oriented high-performance work practices are conceptualised within the context of positive organisational behaviour. Positive organisational behaviour as characterised in the form of psychological capital, with antecedents such as authentic leadership and supportive organisational climate and employee outcomes such as job satisfaction, intention to leave, engagement in the Namibian state-owned enterprises context are the main focus of this study. The study aimed to assess the relationship between psychological capital, authentic leadership, supportive organisational climate, job satisfaction, intention to leave, employee engagement and performance for employees in state-owned enterprises in Namibia. A cross-sectional survey design was used to gather data regarding all these constructs as experienced by employees. A convenience sample (N = 452) of employees from 20 state-owned enterprises participated in the study. The measuring instruments used were the Psychological Capital Questionnaire, Performance-related Attitudinal Questionnaire, Job Satisfaction Scale, Turnover Intention Scale, Engagement Scale, Authentic Leadership Questionnaire, Supportive Organisational Climate Questionnaire and a biographical questionnaire. The results of study 1 showed that authentic leadership was positively associated with psychological capital (i.e. experiences of hope, optimism, self-efficacy and resilience) and job satisfaction. Authentic leadership affected job satisfaction indirectly via psychological capital. Psychological capital had a medium to large indirect effect on employees’ intentions to leave. The findings suggest that authentic leadership and psychological capital explain job satisfaction and retention of employees in state-owned enterprises. Study 2 showed that authentic leadership and psychological capital predicted employee engagement. A supportive organisational climate was related to employee engagement on individual level, but only if authentic leadership and psychological capital were not included in the model. Psychological capital mediated the relation between authentic leadership and employee engagement on an individual level in state owned enterprises. The results of study 3 showed that authentic leadership and a supportive organisational climate had a positive impact on psychological capital. Psychological capital predicted job performance on an individual level. Psychological capital was not associated with organisational performance. Recommendations for interventions to promote psychological capital, its antecedents and outcomes were made.

The Fast Moving Consumable Goods industry is characterized by competitiveness, on going change and high turnover. To stay competitive, retain talent and keep up with these fast paced systems, organisations have to capitalise on the potential of their workforce to outperform the rest. Giving the increasing demand on both employer and employee regarding innovation, creativity and shared knowledge, increased importance of employee well-being being viewed as sources of “prosperity” for organisations, are critical. Organisations must find a way to enable their employees to flourish. Flourishing refers to high levels of wellbeing in terms of feeling well and functioning well (Keyes, 2007). Subjective well-being refers to the levels of positive and negative affect and the overall satisfaction with life. Psychological well-being consists of individuals’ positive functioning in life. Social wellbeing relates to individuals’ evaluation of their functioning on a public and social level. Individuals spend a large part of their adult life at work in organisational environments that are dynamic and ever-changing. The domain of work is a critical part of existence and plays a dynamic role in the development, expression and maintenance of well-being. Globally the workplace is recognised as a key setting for focusing on improving the well-being of employees due to its compelling impact on a variety of organisational outcomes. Flourishing is thus not only relevant in everyday life, but also occurs in the work and organisational environment. Limited studies regarding flourishing in work and organisational contexts exist and central to studying, understanding, and explaining flourishing at work, are valid and reliable instruments. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a multidimensional scale that measures work flourishing. Furthermore, to investigate the impact of various factors in the work and organisational environment on flourishing in the FMCG industry. A cross-sectional survey design was used to gather data regarding the flourishing of employees in the FMCG industry in South Africa. A stratified random sample (N = 779) was iv taken of employees in an alcoholic beverage company in South Africa. The measuring instruments used were the self-developed Flourishing-at-Work Scale, Flourishing-at-Work Scale Short Form, parts of the Job-Demand-Recourse Scale, Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ), and a Biographical Questionnaire. Confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis, descriptive statistics, regression analysis and latent class analysis were applied. Structural equation modelling was used to test a structural model of work flourishing and its relation to organisational antecedents and outcomes. The results of study 1 showed the validity of a multidimensional scale that measures flourishing in work and organisational context. The FAWS (Flourishing-at-Work Scale) includes the three dimensions of emotional well-being, psychological well-being, and social well-being, as suggested by Rothmann (2013). This supports the work of Keyes (2005, 2007) regarding integrating the models of hedonic (Diener, 1984), eudaimonic (Ryff, 1989), and social well-being (Keyes, 1998) into a unified structure. The results of the latent class analysis also showed that different classes of well-being were evident due to the interplay between the various dimensions. Study 2 showed that work-related antecedents impact on work flourishing. A short form of the FAWS (Flourishing-at-Work Scale) was developed and found to be valid. The results confirm that career advancement, authentic leadership and work-life interference predict work flourishing. Advancement and authentic leadership positively relate to flourishing while negative work-life interference impacts flourishing negatively. The Conservation of Resources (COR) framework (Hobfoll, 1989), which suggests that the well-being of an individual is dependent on the maintenance or gain of resources, is therefore supported. The job demands workload and job insecurity did not predict flourishing in the organisational environment. Study 3 showed that positive organisational practices (positive emotions, support, and inspiration) predict work flourishing. Furthermore, career advancement was a positive predictor of flourishing in the work and organisational context.

The Fast Moving Consumable Goods industry is characterized by competitiveness, on going change and high turnover. To stay competitive, retain talent and keep up with these fast paced systems, organisations have to capitalise on the potential of their workforce to outperform the rest. Giving the increasing demand on both employer and employee regarding innovation, creativity and shared knowledge, increased importance of employee well-being being viewed as sources of “prosperity” for organisations, are critical. Organisations must find a way to enable their employees to flourish. Flourishing refers to high levels of wellbeing in terms of feeling well and functioning well (Keyes, 2007). Subjective well-being refers to the levels of positive and negative affect and the overall satisfaction with life. Psychological well-being consists of individuals’ positive functioning in life. Social wellbeing relates to individuals’ evaluation of their functioning on a public and social level. Individuals spend a large part of their adult life at work in organisational environments that are dynamic and ever-changing. The domain of work is a critical part of existence and plays a dynamic role in the development, expression and maintenance of well-being. Globally the workplace is recognised as a key setting for focusing on improving the well-being of employees due to its compelling impact on a variety of organisational outcomes. Flourishing is thus not only relevant in everyday life, but also occurs in the work and organisational environment. Limited studies regarding flourishing in work and organisational contexts exist and central to studying, understanding, and explaining flourishing at work, are valid and reliable instruments. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a multidimensional scale that measures work flourishing. Furthermore, to investigate the impact of various factors in the work and organisational environment on flourishing in the FMCG industry. A cross-sectional survey design was used to gather data regarding the flourishing of employees in the FMCG industry in South Africa. A stratified random sample (N = 779) was iv taken of employees in an alcoholic beverage company in South Africa. The measuring instruments used were the self-developed Flourishing-at-Work Scale, Flourishing-at-Work Scale Short Form, parts of the Job-Demand-Recourse Scale, Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ), and a Biographical Questionnaire. Confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis, descriptive statistics, regression analysis and latent class analysis were applied. Structural equation modelling was used to test a structural model of work flourishing and its relation to organisational antecedents and outcomes. The results of study 1 showed the validity of a multidimensional scale that measures flourishing in work and organisational context. The FAWS (Flourishing-at-Work Scale) includes the three dimensions of emotional well-being, psychological well-being, and social well-being, as suggested by Rothmann (2013). This supports the work of Keyes (2005, 2007) regarding integrating the models of hedonic (Diener, 1984), eudaimonic (Ryff, 1989), and social well-being (Keyes, 1998) into a unified structure. The results of the latent class analysis also showed that different classes of well-being were evident due to the interplay between the various dimensions. Study 2 showed that work-related antecedents impact on work flourishing. A short form of the FAWS (Flourishing-at-Work Scale) was developed and found to be valid. The results confirm that career advancement, authentic leadership and work-life interference predict work flourishing. Advancement and authentic leadership positively relate to flourishing while negative work-life interference impacts flourishing negatively. The Conservation of Resources (COR) framework (Hobfoll, 1989), which suggests that the well-being of an individual is dependent on the maintenance or gain of resources, is therefore supported. The job demands workload and job insecurity did not predict flourishing in the organisational environment. Study 3 showed that positive organisational practices (positive emotions, support, and inspiration) predict work flourishing. Furthermore, career advancement was a positive predictor of flourishing in the work and organisational context.

This companion dissertation reports the findings of applied case study research on four community college organizational units that consistently meet or exceed standard performance measures. In addition, prior ample evidence confirms that performance extended significantly beyond what might be explained by available tangible resources alone. The case study contexts are common in higher education in general: a) an external partnership, (b) an ad hoc team, (c) a traditional, cross-divisional service unit, and (d) a grant-funded student service unit. Emerging positive organizational theory and research show promise for revealing performance-influencing phenomena and behaviors that are not adequately represented in standard measures. Therefore, this collaborative case study research was designed to explore positive influences on the success of the four community college units. This companion dissertation contains four manuscripts. Chapter 1 presents an introduction to the study. Chapter 2 contains a collectively written synthesis of the findings from the four individual case studies. Chapter 3 reflects individual research on a partnership that serves as a national model for adult education. Chapter four offers an alternative perspective to developing authentic leaders in community colleges. Key findings across the units suggest the influence on performance of: (a) a people-first culture, (b) authentic, trusting, inclusive leadership, and (c) resource richness beyond constrained tangible resources. Practical recommendations for scholars and practitioners are offered.