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Authenticity: A multicomponent perspective
... The scale went through revisions during its development in order to produce adequate psychometric properties (Kernis & Goldman, 2005). Items were also revised to solve the problem of low internal reliabilities. ...
... For example, in the relational orientation subscale, substantial increases in alpha (i.e., from .32 to .66) occurred when items centered on close relationships rather than to others in general (Kernis & Goldman, 2005). ...
... Kernis, Lakey, Heppner, Goldman, and Davis (2005) indicated that total AI-3 scores were significant and inversely related to defensiveness (r = -.25) (as cited in Kernis & Goldman, 2005). These results help to highlight the awareness component of authenticity as well as the unbiased processing component of the AI-3 (Kernis & Goldman, 2006). ...
... Therefore, authentic leaders learn and move forward without getting constrained by their past failures. Kernis and Goldman [41,42] also warn about costs of authentic functioning that may be consequential at times. Acting authentically and in accordance with one's true self may not be beneficial always and opening oneself to others may cause disappointment or even betrayal [43,41]. ...
... Authentic leadership development is fundamentally the development of authenticity which, according to Kernis et al. [42,43,41], comprises four components namely awareness, unbiased processing, behavior, and relational orientation. According to Kernis et al. [42,41], awareness refers to having trust in one's motives, feelings, desires, and self-relevant cognitions. ...
... Authentic leadership development is fundamentally the development of authenticity which, according to Kernis et al. [42,43,41], comprises four components namely awareness, unbiased processing, behavior, and relational orientation. According to Kernis et al. [42,41], awareness refers to having trust in one's motives, feelings, desires, and self-relevant cognitions. Unbiased processing means not denying, distorting, exaggerating, nor ignoring private knowledge, internal experiences, and externally based self-evaluative information. ...
Research in the construction industry is beginning to pay more attention to project leadership. Current perception of construction project leaders is largely built around power, authority, and task-orientation. This is due to the traditional focus of the construction industry on technical and managerial features of construction projects. However, greater challenges of modern times and increasingly different business environment necessitate a renewed vision for leadership research and call for a change in traditional perception and mindset about leadership in the construction industry. Globalization and fast changing nature of construction have necessitated a need for project managers to have and apply different leadership behaviors, competencies and styles. To highlight the need for a new breed of construction project leaders, this paper discusses the recent construct of “authentic leadership” in the context of construction projects. Authentic project leaders possess positive values, lead from the heart, set highest levels of ethics and morality, and go beyond their personal interests for well-being of their followers. They capitalize on the environment of trust and are able to motivate people and accomplish challenging tasks. Authentic leadership possesses high potential for development as well as veritable performance of construction project leaders. Proposal made in this paper highlights benefits of authentic leadership development in construction professionals and discusses the relevant practical and research implications. An agenda for research on authentic leadership in the construction industry is also discussed in detail.
... In another study of 111 students, they found that authenticity sub-scales were generally related to those of psychological well-being. Kernis and Goldman (2005b) also reported positive relationships between the components of authenticity and psychological well-being. ...
... In order to measure authenticity, 'The Authenticity Inventory' or AI:3 (Kernis and Goldman, 2005b;Kernis and Goldman, 2006a) was used. AI:3 is a selfreport 45-item scale which comprises four sub-scales including: awareness, unbiased processing, behaviour and relational orientation. ...
... However this scale remained focused on 'inauthenticity' under the influence of conventional psychology or pathology that focused on mental illness rather than mental wellness. Therefore, the authenticity scale developed and tested by Kernis and Goldman (2005b) was adopted. ...
'Authentic leadership' has emerged as an important subject in the management science literature. Although several scholars have presented their viewpoints about authenticity and authentic leadership, there is scarcity of empirical evidence on what leaders can really gain from being authentic. The results of the questionnaire-based survey with 32 leaders suggest that authenticity is significantly correlated with psychological well-being and negatively correlated with contingent self-esteem. Regression analysis also shows that authenticity successfully predicts psychological well-being. These findings indicate that authenticity results in healthy psychological functioning of leaders and hence several positive work-related outcomes.
... Authenticity is defined as autonomous acts that originate from one's core self, representing those preferences and values that are wholeheartedly endorsed (Kernis & Goldman, 2005). Authentic actions are those for which one takes responsibility; they are not half-hearted or disowned . ...
... Research has supported the validity of Kernis and Goldman's (2005) measure for authenticity, demonstrating its relations with various aspects of healthy psychological and interpersonal functioning (Kernis & Goldman, 2006;Lakey et al., 2008). For example, Lakey et al. (2008) found that authenticity predicts not only low defensiveness but also mindfulness, which involves the extent to which individuals pay nonjudgmental and unbiased attention to their current experiences (Brown & Ryan, 2003). ...
Two studies explored the role of parents' unconditional positive regard (UCPR) as perceived by adolescents and young adults in promoting the effectiveness of specific parenting practices that may support offspring's academic autonomous motivation. Study 1 tested the hypothesis that UCPR predicts rationale-giving and choice-provision practices and, at the same time, moderates their relations with adolescents' autonomous motivation. Study 2 replicated the association between UCPR and the parental practices, and further explored the role of parent's authenticity as an antecedent of UCPR and parental autonomy support.
Study 1 consisted of 125 adolescents and Study 2 consisted of 128 college-students and their mothers. The offspring reported on their perceptions of mothers and on their autonomous motivation, and the mothers reported on their sense of authenticity.
Both studies found consistent associations between UCPR and parenting practices that may support autonomous motivation. Moreover, Study 1 demonstrated that the rationale-giving and choice-provision were more strongly related to adolescents' autonomous motivation when adolescents perceived mothers as high on UCPR. Finally, Study 2 demonstrated that mothers' authenticity predicted UCPR, which in turn was related to autonomy-supportive parenting.
Findings support the assumption that parents' autonomy-supportive practices are more effective when accompanied by UCPR. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
... • The Authentic Self Inventory (ASI; Kernis & Goldman, 2005) was used to measure the level of authenticity of the respondents. The survey measures four components of authenticity, namely awareness, unbiased processing, behaviour, and relational orientation. ...
... Examples of some of the items included in this measure are: "For better or for worse I am aware of who I truly am (awareness)" (awareness); "I am very uncomfortable objectively considering my limitations and shortcomings" (unbiased processing); "I find that my behaviour typically expresses my personal needs and desires" (behaviour) and "I am willing to endure negative consequences by expressing my true beliefs about things" (relational orientation). A study by Kernis and Goldman (2005) observed internal consistency reliabilities ranging from .64 to .90 for the ASI. ...
The aims of this study were to examine the relationship between flourishing and academic performance (AP), life satisfaction (SWT), and positive affect (PA). A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was used on a convenience sample of university students (n = 845). The Mental Health Continuum Long Form (MHC-LF), Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) and Satisfaction with Life Scales (SWLS) were administered. Academic performance was determined through averaging all the participants' modules for the first semester. Individuals with moderate levels of flourishing typically performed in the 'above average' to 'excelling academically' range. Furthermore, a large number of individuals who were underperforming were also languishing. Flourishing students experienced higher levels of positive affect and life satisfaction, as well as lower levels of negative affect than their languishing and moderately flourishing counterparts. The relationship between flourishing and academic performance is complex, it would seem that flourishing/languishing plays a role in academic performance. Finally, flourishing relates to both PA and SWL, which supports the construct validity of flourishing's conceptualisation.
... The origin of project management research on authentic leadership can be traced to the work of Toor and Ofori (2008), proposing authentic leadership as a root construct for project leadership that captures the positive psychological attributes of project leaders and arguing that authentic leadership is crucial for the dealing with the socio-political, cultural and economic challenges of the construction industry. Drawing on the multi-component conceptualisation of authenticity proposed by Kernis and Goldman (2005), Toor and Ofori (2008) define four authentic leadership behaviours: 1) self-awareness: having trust in motives, feelings, desires and self-relevant cognitions, 2) unbiased processing: processing self-relevant information without bias, 3) behaviour: behaving in line with one's values, preferences and needs, 4) relational orientation: valuing and accomplishing openness and truthfulness in relating to others. In this formulation, trigger events, a supportive organisational context and external environment is an important antecedent to developing these authentic leader behaviours. ...
The tendency to present authentic leadership as a set of project manager attributes (e.g., characteristics, behaviours, competencies) limits the potential of this concept to help address the challenges of contemporary projects. Using the lens of self-identity and drawing on life-story interviews with Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of public project-based organisations in the UK construction industry, this paper offers an enrichment of the authentic leadership concept that takes into account situated nuances and struggles encountered in the lived experiences of leaders. The findings reveal a dialogical process between more coherent narratives and personalised stories articulated by the leaders, continued interweaving stories of self and the context, and ongoing efforts to cope with relational anxieties, authenticity and self-identity struggles. It is shown that these processes are situated in cultural values, roles, institutionalised views of leadership and the broader context, and shape the contextual conditions for project work.
... For instance, Harter (2002, p. 382) notes that authenticity requires free expression, unencumbered by extraneous concerns about what others might think, in other words, the defining feature of Pinterest-using college students. Scholars note that authenticity seeking is related to (a) getting in touch with what one is truly about and with one's values (see Harter et al. 1996; Kernis and Goldman 2005, 2006; Peterson and Seligman 2004), (b) the complexity of one's personality (see Bennis and Thomas 2002; Goleman 1995, 1998; ...
Marketers are rushing to establish a presence on social media based on the promise of reaching a growing segment of users, and with the intention of achieving brand and sales-related objectives. Our recent study of Pinterest usage among college students was designed to produce findings to aid such endeavors. While there is much in the practitioner press and the blogosphere to suggest that Pinterest is shaping the purchase behavior of users, there is no theory to explain why college students use this social media. This article reports findings from a multistage study of college students’ Pinterest usage. The purpose of the study was to stimulate new thinking and aid future theory development efforts. Findings suggest that Pinterest-using college students are psychologically healthy and grounded, and seek and find authentic experiences and enrichment on Pinterest. We draw implications for scholars interested in developing theories of social media usage, and for practitioners interested in harnessing the power of Pinterest.
... Authenticity can be defined as ''the unobstructed operation of one's true, or core, self in one's daily enterprise'' (Kernis, 2003, p. 13). More precisely, Goldman and Kernis (2002;Kernis, 2003;Kernis & Goldman, 2005, 2006 suggest that authenticity comprises four distinct, but interrelated, components: awareness, unbiased processing, behavior, and relational orientation. Awareness represents the extent to which individuals possess self-knowledge concerning, and trust in, their own self-relevant aspects, including their likes and dislikes, motives, and personal standards. ...
We examined the extent to which individual differences in authenticity and mindfulness predicted verbal defensiveness. Participants first completed measures of authenticity [Kernis, M. H., & Goldman, B. M. (2006). A multicomponent conceptualization of authenticity: Theory and research. In M. P. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, Vol. 38 (pp. 283–357).] and mindfulness [Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 822–848]. Within the next few weeks, participants completed the Defensive Verbal Behavior Assessment [Feldman Barrett, L., Williams, N. L., & Fong, G. T. (2002). Defensive verbal behavior assessment. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28, 776–788]. Their responses to potentially self-threatening experiences subsequently were rated for the extent to which they reflected openness and honesty as opposed to defensiveness. Our findings indicated that authenticity and mindfulness correlated positively and that higher scores on each related to lower levels of verbal defensiveness. Additional analyses revealed that the relation between authenticity and verbal defensiveness was indirect, mediated by mindfulness. These findings support the view that higher authenticity and mindfulness relate to greater tendencies to engage self-relevant information in a relatively non-defensive manner.
Relational authenticity—which refers to subjective feelings of authenticity in a specific relationship—confers well-being; yet little is known about what gives rise to it. The present research tested competing hypotheses about the basis of relational authenticity, whether it arises from being one’s actual self in a relationship (actual–relational selves overlap), ideal self (relational–ideal selves overlap), or both. A pilot study examined lay beliefs about the basis of relational authenticity. Study 1 then showed that relational–ideal, but not actual–relational, overlap predicts relational authenticity. The remaining studies experimentally manipulated relational–ideal overlap, and showed that low overlap reduced relational authenticity compared with a control condition (Study 2), with varying actual–relational overlap (Study 3), and with varying actual–ideal overlap (Study 4). Several alternative accounts (e.g., negative general relationship perceptions) were addressed. We conclude that relational authenticity emanates largely from being one’s ideal self in the relevant relationship, and discuss implications and future directions.
One of the great challenges for positive psychology is that academics, researchers and authors are yet to reach agreement on the terminology, constructs and methodology of the various positive psychological concepts and interventions. One such concept that has been ambiguously and often inconsistently conceptualised is happiness. Interventions that are structured around these conceptualisations have produced mixed results, which are attributable to various aspects such as the unidimensional conceptualisation of the concept, inconsistent measurement, psychometric measuring instruments that have not been validated for the population in question, and fragmented intervention methodologies. Research was, therefore, needed regarding happiness and the development of interventions aimed at increasing happiness. Therefore, this thesis aimed to investigate the concept, manifestation, measurement and development of happiness and positive psychological interventions (PPIs) within a tertiary educational environment.
A mixed method research approach was followed to reach the research objectives. The first study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of positive psychological assessment measures, and to determine the relationship between flourishing and academic performance within a tertiary educational institution. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was used to address this objective. The Mental Health Continuum Long Form, Positive and Negative Affect Scale and Satisfaction with Life Scale were administered and indicated acceptable levels of internal consistency. The MHC-LF would need to be adapted for future studies within the tertiary educational environment. No significant correlations could be established between academic performance and flourishing. However, cross-tabulation indicated some evidence of the impact that flourishing/languishing had on academic performance. Individuals with moderate levels of flourishing typically performed in the ‘above average’ to ‘excelling academically’ range. Languishing individuals performed at the lower levels of the academic performance spectrum. The results indicated that a large number of individuals within this tertiary educational environment were languishing. Flourishing students experienced higher levels of positive affect and satisfaction with life, as well as lower levels of negative affect than their languishing and moderately flourishing counterparts.
The second study aimed to investigate the main streams of research on happiness, the approaches/models flowing from these philosophies and the methodology of happiness interventions. A quantitative meta-analysis of the literature was used to address the aforementioned research objective. Seeing that the literature presents with such incongruent findings regarding the effectiveness of PPIs, research was needed to establish how happiness should be conceptualised, which moderating factors should be addressed in this conceptualisation, and what the content of PPIs should be. A qualitative meta-analysis of the literature indicated that happiness is approached from either a hedonic, eudaimonic or integrated approach. These philosophies gave birth to a stream of scientific literature regarding happiness and its various conceptualisations, namely (a) Subjective well-being; (b) Hedonic well-being; (c) Eudaimonic well-being; (d) Psychological well-being; (e) Flourishing, and (f) Authentic happiness. Furthermore, the results highlighted three causes for failing interventions: (a) unidimensional models/approaches towards happiness, (b) targeting the concept of happiness instead of the mediating factors; and (c) fragmented methodological interventions. The study suggested a multidimensional model for happiness and happiness interventions. Furthermore, the study proposed a multifaceted methodology for happiness interventions, comprising self-administered intentional activities, group-administered interventions and individual coaching.
The third study aimed to evaluate a PPI aimed at increasing happiness of students in a tertiary educational institution. A longitudinal pre-experimental research design was used to address the aforementioned research objective. Qualitative data were used to explore the findings further. The results indicated that the overall happiness of a student may be increased through developing individuals on both an emotional and psychological level. The results showed some scientific merit to a multifaceted approach towards PPIs. The PPI affected all the aspects conceptualised in this study except for two components of authenticity, namely authentic behaviour and relational orientations.
Finally, recommendations for future research were made.
Researchers studying mindfulness point to the need for studies and analyses explaining and specifying the nature of this variable as compared to other similar constructs. The aim of this article is to examine the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and the Carpe Diem time perspective (CD) and their predictive value with reference to eudaimonic well-being, namely authenticity and basic needs satisfaction. The participants were 238 Poles (138 female and 100 male, aged 15 to 65 years). We obtained results suggesting that mindfulness and CD are separate constructs that do not correlate with each other. We point out that mindfulness is mainly concerned with the form of awareness, while CD is concerned with its content. The interaction of these two variables has a particularly positive effect on the functioning that enables the satisfaction of basic psychological needs.
Models of social response concern the identification and delineation of possible responses to social pressure. Previous efforts toward a unified model have been limited to conceptualizations that define conformity and its alternatives based on discrete categories (e.g., Montgomery, 1992; Nail et al., 2000). Social response in many settings, however, is more a matter of degree, requiring continuous-response formats. The authors propose a new unified model, the double diamond, which was derived from a synthesis of 11 existing models. To our knowledge, it includes for the first time in a continuous-response model: two types of conformity, three types of anticonformity, independence, compromise, contagion, and numerous other possibilities. The model provides a needed theoretical foundation for a relatively new influence technique: strategic self-anticonformity (MacDonald et al., 2011). The broader integrative power of the model is illustrated by its links with the true self (Rogers, 1951), self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2008), and two therapeutic techniques—paradoxical intention (Frankl, 1967) and motivational interviewing (Miller & Rollnick, 2002). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved)
A focus on creativity has increased in the last two decades due to the turbulent changes in the business environment, the fierce competition in the global market, and the knowledge-based economy that has made jobs more complex and mobile. This article discusses the history and transition of creativity research based on three perspectives of creativity: personal characteristics, contextual perspectives, and integrative perspectives. This article also reviews the extant empirical studies that have been published from 2001 to 2012. Furthermore, to stimulate more rigorous creativity research in human resource development (HRD), this article provides a conceptual framework integrating personal factors and contextual factors such as organizational, social/group, and job contexts. Finally, theoretical implications and recommendations for future creativity research in HRD are discussed.
A simplified framework for leader development, structured into webs of belief, is proposed as a starting point for learning to lead in complex contexts and environments. The framework (a) provides a simplified belief set adaptable to changing contexts and conditions, and (b) engages the developing leader in ongoing constructive self and other development practices. The five webs of belief proposed for 21st century leader development are learning, reverence, service, authenticity, and flaneur. The five constructs are cognitive schemas for the developing leader to use as guiding principles, then adapt with new information, new experiences, new levels of complexity and new contexts over the course of the life and career spans.
The present research investigates the impact of authentic leadership in bolstering followers’ morality, operationalized as ethical decision-making in the face of temptation. This experiment finds that authentic leadership and temptation interacted to affect individuals’ ethical decision-making. Specifically, authentic leadership significantly inhibited individuals’ from making unethical decisions in the face of temptation, whereas followers of inauthentic leaders were more likely to succumb to temptation. Authentic leadership did not have a significant impact when temptation was absent. Further, results showed a significant moderated-mediated effect whereby the interactive effect of authentic leadership and temptation on individuals’ guilt was mediated through the nature of the ethical decision. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
The present study investigates the extent to which dispositional authenticity is associated with dating couples’ relationship behaviors and outcomes as well as their personal well-being. Sixty two heterosexual couples completed a measure of dispositional authenticity (Kernis & Goldman, 2006), as well as measures of relationship behaviors (e.g., accommodation, self-disclosure, and trust), relationship outcomes, and well-being. Results revealed that authenticity was related to engaging in healthy relationship behaviors, which in turn predicted positive relationship outcomes and greater personal well-being. Interestingly, men’s authenticity predicted women’s relationship behaviors, but women’s dispositional authenticity was not associated with men’s relationship behaviors. The implications of dispositional authenticity and the contribution of gender roles are discussed.
The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a positive psychological intervention (PPI) aimed at increasing happiness of students in a tertiary educational institution. A convenience sample (n = 20) was drawn from the entire population of academic third year students in the field of Industrial/ Organisational psychology (n = 109). The majority of the participants were Sesotho speaking (45%), black (95%), female (90%), and 21 years of age (45%). A single group pre-, post-, and post-post-test design was used. The PPI stretched across eight months and was presented in two phases: (a) a three day self-development workshop and (b) six sessions of individual coaching. The intervention focused on facilitating development on two levels, namely a psychological (engagement, meaning, person-environment fit, autonomy, competence, relatedness and authenticity), and emotional (pleasure, affect balance and life satisfaction) level. Data were collected using the Satisfaction with Life Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Scale, Orientations to Happiness Questionnaire, Basic Psychological Needs Scale, the Authentic Self Inventory and Person-Environment Fit scale. The results indicated that the overall happiness of a student increased through developing individuals on both an emotional and psychological level. The PPI affected all the aspects conceptualised in this study, except for two components of authenticity. Therefore, a multi-dimensional approach towards PPIs aimed at happiness of students in a tertiary educational environment may contribute to happy students.
The past decade has seen a dramatic increase in scholarly interest in the topic of authentic leadership. We review this literature with the goal of clarifying the state of knowledge in the field. We begin with a historical overview of the construct's definition and evolution. Next, we present the results of a content analysis of 91 publications that focus on authentic leadership. Specifically, we examined the publication type (theoretical, empirical, and practitioner), contributors (e.g., discipline, nationality, and institutional affiliation), theoretical foundations, research strategies, sample location/type, data collection methods, analytical procedures, and nomological network of authentic leadership. We conclude by presenting an agenda for future research.
Two hundred and one employees report their psychological capital, as well as their supervisors' authentic leadership. Supervisors describe the employees' creativity. The main findings show that authentic leadership predicts employees' creativity, both directly and through the mediating role of employees' psychological capital. The study empirically validates theoretical arguments that suggest integrating authentic leadership and psychological capital in research, and indicates that both may foster employees' creativity, a crucial resource for helping organizations to face competitive challenges, take advantage of business opportunities, and improve organizational effectiveness.
And if by chance I wake at night and I ask you who I am, oh take me to the slaughterhouse I will wait there with the lamb. —Leonard CohenWhatever satisfies the soul is truth. —Walt WhitmanI prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence. —Frederick DouglassIn this chapter, we present research and theory pertaining to our multicomponent perspective on authentic functioning. We begin with a historical account of various philosophical perspectives on authentic functioning and briefly review several past and contemporary psychological perspectives on authenticity. We then define and discuss our multicomponent conceptualization of authenticity and describe each of its components and their relationships to other constructs in the psychology literature. Next, we present an individual differences measure we have developed to assess dispositional authenticity and each of its components, and we report findings attesting to the adequacy of its psychometric properties. In addition, we present findings from a variety of studies we have conducted to examine how authenticity relates to diverse aspects of healthy psychological and interpersonal functioning. These studies pertain to a wide range of phenomena, including the following: verbal defensiveness, mindfulness, coping styles, self‐concept structure, social‐role functioning, goal pursuits, general well‐being, romantic relationships, parenting styles, and self‐esteem. Following this, we discuss potential downsides or costs for authentic functioning and describe some future directions for research on authenticity.
In this article, I report on a research program that has focused on the joint roles of stability and level of self-esteem in various aspects of psychological functioning. Stability of self-esteem refers to the magnitude of short-term fluctuations that people experience in their current, contextually based feelings of self-worth. In contrast, level of self-esteem refers to representations of people's general, or typical, feelings of self-worth. A considerable amount of research reveals that self-esteem stability has predictive value beyond the predictive value of self-esteem level. Moreover, considering self-esteem stability provides one way to distinguish fragile from secure forms of high self-esteem. Results from a number of studies are presented and theoretical implications are discussed.
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