Authenticity in the Workplace: What does it really mean?

Abstract

Recently, the word authenticity has been used quite prevalently in organizations, specifically as an attribute needed in leaders. However, during the pandemic, the use of the word authenticity became more prominent and organizationally universal. While the term is great in concept, the power of the word “authenticity” remains nebulous. This poses a potential problem for organizations and teams as it presents the risk of not delivering on this commitment if the elements of authenticity are not defined and understood. Making a promise of authenticity without delivering on it may have a negative impact on the individual and organizational morale/culture and a longer-ranging impact in terms of employee engagement and retention. Using the lens of the cognitive dissonance theory as a construct to view authenticity as a “product” from a marketing perspective, one has a framework to postulate that if expectations are not clear and the perceived performance (delivery on the promise of specific elements of authenticity) is not optimal, then there will be ramifications of this in terms of satisfaction (e.g. employee engagement). This paper will explore why defining this word in an organizational context is important, what are the macro dimensions of authenticity to help frame and define it, and what variables contribute to bringing authenticity to life.