South African managers in public service: On being authentic

Abstract

South African managers in public service consistently face challenges related to managing a well-adjusted and productive diverse workforce. Following the notion that leadership authenticity fosters positive psychological employee capacity, the aim of this study was to explore the meaning essence of authenticity as lived in the work–life experiences of senior managers in public service. Five senior managers in public service were purposefully selected based on their articulated challenges with being authentic at work, whilst attending a diversity sensitivity workshop. From a hermeneutic phenomenological perspective, in-depth interviews were used, and an interpretative phenomenological analysis yielded two predominant themes offering a description of what it means to be authentic. Authenticity is experienced as an affective state that results from a continuous self-appraisal of the extent to which expression of self is congruent with a subjective and socially constructed expectation of self in relation to others. Authenticity seems to develop through a continuous process of internal and external adaptation, and it leads to ultimately building a differentiated yet integrated identity of self. A reciprocal dynamic between feeling authentic and self-confidence alludes to the potential importance of authenticity dynamics in identity work.

Authentic leadership and organisational citizenship behaviour in the public health care sector: The role of workplace trust

“…This was done to provide an understanding of how authentic leadership can evoke a more trusting workforce, resulting in employees going the 'extra mile'. This is specifically relevant in the South African public health care sector which is being challenged by service delivery difficulties, a lack of resources and trying working conditions characterised by work overload and a distrust in leadership (Barnard & Simbhoo, 2014;Christian & Crisp, 2012;George et al, 2013).…”

Lesbian and Gay Educators Functioning in Heteronormative Schools

“…An individual's ability to be authentic at work increases his/her self-esteem, well-being, and improves relationships with others (Barnard & Simbhoo, 2014). Wang (2015) found that authenticity and gratifying relationships uniquely contributed to self-esteem.…”

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

“…This view acknowledges the idea of a socially constructed self and emphasises that authenticity is an individual experience with strong socially constructed ideals contributing to how a person judges the self. Barnard and Simbhoo (2014) define authenticity as an affective state, stemming from an ongoing self-appraisal of the degree to which self-expression corresponds with one's subjective, socially formed expectation of the self, relative to others. This self-appraisal or self-verification is of an ongoing nature as authenticity is never an ultimately reachable end-state, it is relative to context, non-dualistic (not either-or) and dialectic (integrating contradictory aspects in the self; Roche, 2010).…”

“…This also reminds of Kernis and Goldman's (2006) view of authenticity as reflecting optimal self-esteem (feeling of high self-worth and acceptance) and relates to Goodwin's (2019, p. 33) use of best-self as the 'self-checking' point for women's sense of authentic leadership. As such, in this study authenticity is defined from an eudaimonic, existential, state perspective and define it as an individual difference construct (Kernis, 2003;Wood et al, 2008) formed by an ongoing process (Barnard and Simbhoo, 2014) of the realignment of thoughts, emotions and behaviour (Roberts et al, 2005;Kernis and Goldman, 2006) with notions of bestself (Roberts et al, 2005;Human et al, 2012). Best-self denotes people's cognitive construction of the qualities and characteristics they display when they deem themselves at their best (Roberts Cable et al, 2013).…”