Can I Be Me With You at Work? Examining Relational Authenticity and Discretionary Behaviors in the Workplace

Abstract

Management scholars have long been interested in the topic of authenticity in the workplace, evidenced by the history of scholarship on authentic leadership and the many new authenticity constructs that have emerged. In this article, we take a narrower view of authenticity and focus on relational authenticity in the workplace, which we define as being genuine in workplace relationships. Adapting a validated relational authenticity scale to the organizational context, we explore the ways in which feeling authentic in workplace relationships has ramifications for discretionary behaviors. Specifically, we build on belongingness theory to posit that relational authenticity will result in an increase in engagement in both altruistic and sportsmanship behaviors. We also explore the moderating effect of proactive personality on these relationships. Results from our two-sample study ( N = 352; 500) indicate that relational authenticity is positively associated with engagement in both altruistic and sportsmanship behaviors.

Correlation Between Personnel' Authenticity in the Workplace, Burnout and Well-Being

“…Social well-being, which reflects positive functioning in society, namely social integration, feelings of belonging, is clearly associated with age differences, as a higher level of education promotes social relations (Keyes, 1998). Although other studies confirm that age differences influence perceptions of authenticity and are a significant factor in examining the effects of authenticity on organizational outcomes (Ostermeier, Medina-Craven, Camp, & Davis, 2022), this study's measures of relational authenticity did not demonstrate such associations, possibly due to the limited sample size. It would be useful to study the differences in the authenticity of relationships in different occupational groups, examining how the appropriateness of work roles and the availability of work resources (autonomy, training and development opportunities, supervisor, colleague support) affect authenticity (Kuntz & Abbott, 2017;Metin et al, 2016).…”

“…The authenticity of relationships is defined as how true (real) an individual is in their relationship with colleagues and managers. The conceptualization of relational authenticity is more akin to an individual's characterization within a specific organizational context rather than being a rigid, consistently resilient personality trait (Ostermeier, Medina-Craven, Camp, & Davis, 2022). Age is an important factor to consider when examining whether authenticity will affect an organization's results (Ostermeier, Medina-Craven, Camp, & Davis, 2022).…”

Getting to the root of authentic leadership: Where does the field go from here?

“…While the best self perspective represents the qualities and characteristics an individual displays when they are at their best (Roberts et al, 2009), the true self approach takes a morally neutral stance and focuses on the individual knowing themself and acting consistently with that self (Kernis, 2003). The authentic leadership field has overwhelmingly been in the “best self” camp due to the ALQ while many other authenticity constructs rely on a true self approach (e.g., authentic personality, Wood et al, 2008; authentic functioning, Kernis & Goldman, 2006; psychological authenticity climate, Ostermeier et al, 2022; relational authenticity, Ostermeier et al, 2022; role authenticity, Sheldon et al, 1997). We agree that the true self approach—which Helmuth and colleagues note as an existential approach—to authentic leadership warrants exploration as either an alternative to the ALQ or something additive to explore in conjunction with the ALQ.…”