Inform: Processes of Knowledge Translation and Dissemination
K2A Gap Assignment
The Improbability of Authentic Leadership
By Laura Korneluk
Part 1: The Gap
Authentic Leadership was borne in the early 2000’s as an antidote to corporate mistrust and
employee dissatisfaction from lack of meaningful, ethical work. In its current form, it is often
praised as the foremost leadership model to improve corporate inclusiveness and culture.
In order to improve varying aspects of organizational culture it is often recommended that
employees “show up to work” as their “true, authentic selves”. This advice ignores the realities
and complexities of both the employees’ self-identities and current organizational and business
culture; woefully unequipped to accept the “outgroup” characteristics that historically excluded
employees hold. Authentic leadership is incompatible with current business culture, and in
many cases an impossible objective to attain. It places the onus of authenticity and
inclusiveness on the employee, rather than the workplace itself.
We should provide employees and leaders with advice rooted in their realities, prioritizing their
safety, while focusing on systemic solutions to inadequate workplace culture. We should not
give advice from an idealistic vision that may not even be achievable, lest we inadvertently put
our marginalized employees in more harm’s way.
This K2A asks the question “does authentic leadership create new barriers and harmful
outcomes for organization employees?”.
Part 2: Search Strategy
For this assignment I used the CIMO framework, commonly used within management
disciplines.
Context
Intervention
Mechanisms
Outcome
Employees in organizations / corporations
Authentic leadership theory / training
Organizational management strategies
Failure to attain ALT objectives, resulting in more barriers to inclusion and
employee harm
Exclusion criteria would be literature focusing on ALT outside of an employment setting and/or
focusing primarily on alternative leadership theories (i.e. authoritative, transformational,
spiritual, etc).
K2A GAP ASSIGNMENT: THE IMPROBABILITY OF AUTHENTIC
LEADERSHIP
LAURA KORNELUK
The following Boolean operators were used in the search strategy:
(employee OR staff OR leader) AND (authentic leadership OR authenticity) AND (leadership
development OR workplace leadership) AND (harm OR barriers OR challenges OR mental
illness)
Context =
organization
employees
Intervention =
authentic leadership
theory
Mechanism =
organizational
management
strategies
Employee
Authenticity
Workplace
leadership
Staff
Authentic leadership
Leader
Outcome = unable to
attain objectives of
theory, resulting in
new barriers and
employee harm
Harm
Barriers
Leadership
development
Challenges
Mental illness
Part 3: Summary of results from strategy
SAGE Journals
The first database used was SAGE Journals. With the above criteria, 7,821 results were generated. If the
results were further refined to more recent journals (2017 and later) the search results were narrowed
down to 1,702.
APA PsycNet
Since SAGE Journals still pulled a large number of results, even when restricting to newer research, a
second database, APA PsycNet, was used. With the above search criteria, 65 results were pulled. I did
not refine the results by date.
Of the databases used, the results showed as expected for SAGE Journals, but not as expected for APA
PsycNet. I was surprised only 65 results were returned in this database. I was not surprised, however,
that the majority of the results in both databases appeared to be in favour of authentic leadership
theory. As it is one of the most prominent leadership styles currently advocated for, I expected to find a
lot of research in favour of the theory. I did notice that the number of journals criticizing the use of this
theory appeared to have grown over the last decade.
Part 4: Copy of selected article
Please see appendix A
K2A GAP ASSIGNMENT: THE IMPROBABILITY OF AUTHENTIC
LEADERSHIP
LAURA KORNELUK
Part 5: Completed quality assessment checklist/tool
Please see appendix B
Part 6: Summary of confidence in article
I have confidence in the selected article. It is a peer-reviewed journal offering a systematic
review that proposes valid criticisms of Authentic Leadership Theory (ALT). The question is
relatively focused, addressing whether it is probable for ALT in its current form to achieve its
own objectives. Throughout the paper they explain why it is not probable.
In order to demonstrate the weaknesses in ALT, the authors analyse the origins of authenticity
in existential philosophy and apply this understanding, and the contradictions, to ALT used
today. The results are centered in 4 key contradictions that show ALT is not true to the origins
of authenticity, leaving ALT at high risk of failure. Additionally, they offer input on the future
study of and improvement of ALT. They recommend that future research be focused on
structural issues (power, purpose and time) within organizations, further supporting the idea
that the root driver of authenticity in organizations is a systemic issue; not a leadership issue.
They end by offering additional commentary on how ALT can be modified to potentially reach
its stated objectives.
Throughout the article, the authors used literature from a variety of perspectives (existential
philosophy, political philosophy, ethics, psychology, leadership theory, etc). The literature
reviewed was not outdated; it was appropriate for the scope of the theories used in review.
There was inclusion of both published literature and grey literature. Additionally, there was a
range of studies used (case studies, systematic reviews, qualitative reviews). While some NonEnglish case studies were assessed, it could have strengthened the paper to include more NonEnglish literature to demonstrate a reasonable application of results to a wider population.
As the literature is reviewed, they offer valid criticisms of the shortcomings of current research.
They criticized the theories used to support ALT and the outcomes commonly recommended
(e.g., operationalizing ALT). They also discuss authenticity from the perspective of existentialism
(the central analysis of this review), and described current research that both supports and
misrepresents the concepts of existential authenticity.
Additionally, confidence in this article could also have been increased if more of their literature
search details were given (i.e. which databases used), and an explicit note was given to formally
acknowledge no conflicts of interest, and any funding sources. Finally, the authors could have
added more value to the paper by elaborating more on the negative implications of continuing
to advocate for current ALT, despite its demonstrated unlikelihood of success. These are only
briefly discussed in the paper (lack of motivation, meaning in work and general dissatisfaction,
unethical behaviour, impacts on dignity, setting employees up to fail).
K2A GAP ASSIGNMENT: THE IMPROBABILITY OF AUTHENTIC
LEADERSHIP
LAURA KORNELUK
Part 7: Practicing plain language
Article 1 Original Abstract
Recently, in response to ethical challenges and loss of meaning within business, leadership
theory and research has seen a proliferation of literature on ‘Authentic Leadership’. In this
paper we argue that Authentic Leadership (AL), in the way it is currently theorized, is in danger
of not reaching its stated objectives. We systematically address the “paradoxes” and
shortcomings in current theory and suggest an extended focus of study. To do so, we draw on
four existential authenticity themes: 1) inauthenticity is inevitable; 2) authenticity requires
creating one's own meaning; 3) authenticity does not imply goal and value congruence,
4) authenticity is not intrinsically ethical. We systematically pursue the implications of these
themes for the future development of Authentic Leadership theory and propose a more radical
form of AL in which the focus of study shifts from the individual leader to understanding the
conditions under which all members of the organization behave authentically. We suggest this
is more likely to achieve the objectives of Authentic Leadership theory.
Article 1: Plain language abstract
A lack of ethics and meaning within business culture has created Authentic Leadership. This paper
explains why Authentic Leadership is a likely impossible standard to reach. We highlight 4
problems with Authentic Leadership to prove this. 1) inauthenticity is unavoidable. 2) people tend
to conform to those around them to 'fit in'. 3) authenticity does not guarantee that individual and
organizational goals and values align. 4) ethical behaviour is not required to be authentic.
We discuss why these 4 problems create a lack of faith in Authentic Leadership. To address them,
we offer a new version of Authentic Leadership. The responsibility of authenticity should lie within
the whole organization and its culture; not an individual leader. This change would increase the
likelihood of achieving the goals of Authentic Leadership.
Article 2: Original abstract
The Problem: Authentic Leadership (AL) focuses on enhancing the capabilities and capacities of
leaders. Instead of focusing on the leader, this article considers the ethical challenges of
fostering authenticity among employees.
One such challenge is that marginalized groups may feel unable to be true to their values, a key
premise of authentic leadership. To foster workplaces where marginalized groups feel able to
be true to themselves, we must consider the cultural and structural barriers that can negatively
affect people’s ability to express themselves in the workplace. Hence, when considering the
merits of AL, it is important for human resource development (HRD) professionals to consider
what occurs when employees do not fit institutional norms.
K2A GAP ASSIGNMENT: THE IMPROBABILITY OF AUTHENTIC
LEADERSHIP
LAURA KORNELUK
The Solution: Creating the conditions for a relational authentic approach to AL that
allows authentic otherness to flourish is an important and complex ethical task, one that HRD
scholars and practitioners are uniquely placed to encourage.
The Stakeholders: HRD scholars and practitioners interested in creating the conditions that
encourage the flourishing of authentic otherness among employees.
Article 2: Plain language abstract
The traditional focus of authentic leadership (AL) on individual leaders is a problem. Instead, this
paper looks at the challenges of encouraging authenticity among a group. We use ethics to see
where these challenges are.
Some employees who do not "fit in" with an organization may not be able to be themselves at
work. This is a problem because being your "true self" is an important part of Authentic
Leadership.
We need to strive to create workplaces where all employees can be themselves. To do this, an
understanding of why some work environments do not allow people to fit in is important. Cultural,
relational and structural barriers are common causes. Understanding these barriers will help us
know what to improve. In order for Authentic Leadership to be possible and valuable, an ethical
perspective is a priority. Creating work environments where differences are welcomed is a
difficult, but important solution.
K2A GAP ASSIGNMENT: THE IMPROBABILITY OF AUTHENTIC
LEADERSHIP
LAURA KORNELUK