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Authenticity is a positive psychological construct often described as being true to oneself, and being authentic means displaying behaviour and expressing oneself in a manner that is consistent with the true self. The aim of this research was to explore managerial experiences of authenticity in the workplace. Purposive sampling was used to select five managers to participate in the study. Data was gathered using semi-structured interviews and data analysis revealed four main themes and related sub-themes. Key findings include that managers construct authenticity as being true to oneself, and that their authenticity is facilitated by contextually appropriate behaviour, the manifestation of multiple selves and open, structured work environments. Barriers to authenticity include interpersonal judgement, limitations on self-expression, leader power and authority, organisational culture and irregular work practices. Being authentic was found to have a positive impact on intrapersonal and interpersonal relations, whilst inauthentic behaviour had negative consequences at both levels. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

This thesis aimed to explore the coping strategies of leaders in situations in which their authenticity is put out of balance. Specifically, this means that this thesis describes the different actions shown by the leaders in order to deal with these particular situations. The literature suggests that leaders either stay with their own values and try to persuade them to the followers (Eagly 2005) or adapt to the group values and avoid showing damaging emotions (Gardner et al. 2005). As expected, this thesis shows that the leaders’ behavior does not simply fit into one group or the other. Instead, this research found that there are more nuances in how leaders respond to situations in which their values are challenged. The first action taken by leaders consists of learning, during which leaders discover and try to make sense of the new environment. Subsequently, roughly five categories of actions could be distinguished from the data. Leaders tend to adapt to small differences, adapt to large differences, avoid relationships, try to change followers or break relationships. Although these are five clearly defined categories, this does not imply that one leader only adopts one kind of strategy. This research found that the kind of strategy chosen by the leader highly depends on the conditions surrounding the leader. The coping strategy chosen has an effect on the relationship between the leader and the followers, and the leader’s emotions. Furthermore, it should be noted that in this research it is stated that leaders choose or decide upon certain actions leading from conditions; this does mean that the decision for actions can be taken both intentionally or unconsciously.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / This discourse was sanctioned by the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) in pursuit of the MBA and is a theoretical exploration of personal authentic leadership, its development and associated constructs. The author endeavoured to describe current thinking on the emerging field of research as well as to raise pressing questions and concerns with respect to the measurement of authentic leadership as a finite quantifiable construct. This was done within the context of a theme, which is inherently subjective and dynamic in nature. The author began by examining some of the organisational and environmental considerations that may have triggered an interest in studying and defining the construct and its associated concepts. An overview was then provided of its content, including the diverse theoretical and methodical perspectives presented, followed by a discourse on the alternate conceptual foundations and definitions that constitute authenticity, authentic leadership, authentic leaders and authentic leadership development. A detailed account of the various components of authentic leadership follows. The similarities and defining features of authentic leadership theory in comparison with transformational, charismatic, servant and spiritual leadership perspectives were subsequently examined. The writer then developed the theme of adult learning and its pertinence within the context of authentic leadership development and this literature was also developed as a philosophical construct. In closing, he discussed the status of authentic leadership theory with respect to its purpose; construct definitions, consideration of context, relational/procedural focus, along with promising directions for possible future research to augment the current body of knowledge on authenticity within the context of leadership and its development.

In leadership development, an established literature and a fertile praxis fall short of clarifying how individuals may develop the many and varied capabilities that contribute to leadership processes. Literature promoting personal growth tends to reduce personal development to cognitive development or rely on broadly defined and under-evidenced notions. The adult development literature offers to this research a conceptualization of personal development as systemic qualitative change in individual sensemaking. As sensemaking develops, it progresses toward greater integration (of interdependent cognitive, emotive, purposive, and conative dimensions), sophistication, and self-determination. The research aimed to examine how changes in the sensemaking of individuals may result in developmental outcomes relevant for personal and leadership development. This inquiry moves from a perspective idealist ontology and a social constructivist epistemology, selects philosophical hermeneutics as a research paradigm, and embraces exploratory qualitative longitudinal research. Purposive sampling guided the selection of research context, a leadership program focused on personal growth. Transcripts from 32 semi-structured constructivist-phenomenological interviews, collected from nine participants across fourteen months, were analyzed through constructivist grounded theory. Development was assessed ipsatively according to a literature-based framework. Contributions, in terms of substantive theory, are not generalizable beyond research context and sample. This research advances the differentiation of developmental context, process and outcomes. Context is found to transcend holding environment—to be ideally conducive to a specific type of change in virtue of a distinctive emerging quality. While vector processes facilitate development, core processes (individual sensemaking) are development. In terms of outcomes, the research supports an association between personal development and development of leadership capabilities, but questions whether self-awareness or personality adjustments per se constitute authentic personal or leadership development. This research exposes a pattern of seeking affirmation, associated with disproportionate identity salience of external image, which is potentially capable of hindering personal development by triggering maladaptive rather than adaptive self-reflection.

This thesis aims to discuss three main categories such as: leadership, working environment and followers’ creativity. Particularly, the general principle of the work is to define how those notions are intertwined. Having used the principles of the Grounded theory (Corbin & Strauss, 2008), we conducted our research with the main emphasis of originating theory from the data that was collected from empirical and theoretical materials. In particular, we found out that leadership factors classified as “work-related” influence the “organizational culture”. Similarly, “management skills” of the leader are closely interrelated with “organizational structure”. Finally, “team-related” leadership traits have their immediate effect on “organizational climate”. Consequently, we can state leadership is able to set up a creative working environment that fosters individual’s creativity. Later forward, the creative working environment is believed to be an ultimate prerequisite that fosters individuals’ creativity. However, it is pertinent to note that leadership as such, can directly influence employees’ creativity as well. As a final analysis, we claim that authentic leadership due to its indispensable attributes is an ultimate prerequisite that enhances individual’s creativity based on the findings of our research.

In our research, we have investigated the influence of tall- and flat organizational structures on authentic leadership in the Swedish- and German context. The research was approached by the systems view and the data were analysed through Grounded Theory. Our aim was to research in which dimension authentic leadership is enabled or restricted to a larger extent – tall- or flat organizations. We discovered that authentic leadership can be performed in both, however it might be more or less encouraged. Hierarchical structures could be seen as a tool for performing authentic leadership – which we were able to confirm in the German context. While flat organizational structures could enable leaders and followers to act according to their true inner selves as well – which we were able to observe in the Swedish context. Interesting differences between tall- and flat organizational structures in Sweden and Germany were observed in terms of authentic leadership performance.

Digitalisation and the phenomenon of digital transformation is rapidly and fundamentally changing existing businesses and organisations alike (Collin, 2015). Although considered a prime challenge for leaders of complex and changing organisations, research in the combined field of digitalisation and leadership however still remain scarce. As executives are tasked with the leading of digital transformation, this study aims to understand how digitalisation effects top management leadership. To achieve this, the study takes a two-folded approach by (1) outlining six characteristics of digitalisation and (2) analysing how these characteristics effect three contemporary forms of leadership: values-based, transformative and authentic leadership. Through a broad literature survey and 13 in-depth interviews with executives and organisational leaders, the study found that the six identified characteristics of digitalisation all effected the three forms of contemporary leadership. The different characteristics did not only change how the leaders practiced each of their leadership styles, but also how their leadership manifested itself through the use of various digital tools, methods and processes in order to enhance and empower their leadership. Even the sub-features of each leadership form were subject to this fundamental digital change. What was also found were three complementary perspectives when leading complex and changing organisations: the perspective of holism, virtuality and networked-based hubs. Each of these perspectives were premiered aspects to be considered as a contemporary leader.

Authenticity is a positive psychological construct often described as being true to oneself, and being authentic means displaying behaviour and expressing oneself in a manner that is consistent with the true self. The aim of this research was to explore managerial experiences of authenticity in the workplace. Purposive sampling was used to select five managers to participate in the study. Data was gathered using semi-structured interviews and data analysis revealed four main themes and related sub-themes. Key findings include that managers construct authenticity as being true to oneself, and that their authenticity is facilitated by contextually appropriate behaviour, the manifestation of multiple selves and open, structured work environments. Barriers to authenticity include interpersonal judgement, limitations on self-expression, leader power and authority, organisational culture and irregular work practices. Being authentic was found to have a positive impact on intrapersonal and interpersonal relations, whilst inauthentic behaviour had negative consequences at both levels. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Intern interior designer leadership skills, expected by practitioners in Canada, were explored in this thesis to identify implications for interior designer education. Employment of a 16 question quantitative, online survey, examined National Council of Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) certified practitioners beliefs about intern leadership skills. A majority of the 116 participants agreed a leader skill set, that includes authentic and design leadership skills, is valuable for interns to have in practice. Six authentic leadership skills: self-improvement, self-monitoring, goal-commitment, openness, positivity, and composure alongside four design leadership skills: adaptability, professional, building-relationships and collaborative rank as the top ten skills. Respondent practitioners also hold post-secondary interior design educators, interior designers, and interns most accountable for leadership education. Recommendations for interior designer education include increasing authentic leadership development opportunities and practitioner involvement. Further, unification of leadership perceptions and consistent leadership language, along the full interior designer education path, is encouraged for programmatic success. / October 2016