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FIGURE 2
Distinctiveness of self compensates for power distance
I feel
authentic
in my work
FIGURE 3
Yes
I feel unique, special
and valued in my organisation
(distinctiveness)
No
I affirm hierarchical
differences in my organisation
(power distance)
Yes
I feel
very authentic
in my work
If employees feel valued, special, and unique in their organisations,
their feeling of authenticity remains high even when they affirm
strong status and power differentials in the organisation.
Yes
I feel
authentic
in my work
Significance of one’s own work compensates
for size of company
I work in a large company
No
I feel unique, special
and valued in my organisation
(distinctiveness)
No
I don’t feel
very authentic
in my work
PERCEIVED DISTINCTIVENESS
AT WORK COMPENSATES FOR
POWER DISTANCE
There is a negative correlation between POWER DISTANCE
and authenticity: the more an individual affirms power and
status differences between individuals in organisation and in
society, the less “genuine” individuals consider their roles to
be (correlation coefficient: -0.46). Restated, individuals who
affirm power differentials in organisations and society tend to
report lower authenticity scores. In the German-speaking culture,
in particular, this negative correlation could also be explained
by the the historical experience of people that self-realisation
and loyalty to authority can be in direct conflict.
However, this negative effect of power distance on authenticity
is moderated by another influencing factor: experienced
distinctiveness of the self in the organisation, i.e., the extent
to which an individual feels special, valued, and unique in an
organisation. In other words, as long as employees feel that
they are indispensable and valued, they can still feel authentic,
even when affirming strong power differentials. More importantly,
if they receive feedback from their environment
that they play a special part in the organisation and that their
personal performance is important for the company, it can
substantially reduce the negative effect of power distance on
authenticity. (Figure 2)
SIGNIFICANCE COMPENSATES
FOR BEING ONE OF MANY
No
I don’t feel
very authentic
in my work
Yes
I feel my work is
meaningful
(importance)
Yes
I feel
very authentic
in my work
Yes
I feel
very authentic
in my work
No
I feel my work is
meaningful
(importance)
No
I feel
authentic
in my work
COMPANY SIZE is another factor diminishing the experience
of authenticity. The feeling of being a tiny cog in a huge,
complex machine is a central experience of the self-alienation
brought about by industrialisation. So it initially comes
as no surprise that this factor is also significant in our study.
What is interesting, however, is that this “classical” type of
self-alienation does not arise in all circumstances. Rather,
counteracting forces are present. People who are given
work they consider to be important and that they feel has a
positive effect on the lives of others – whether those others
are society in general or simply customers – tend to act in
harmony with their inner values. That applies even when
they work in large organisations – a key indication of the importance
of meaningfulness in organisations. (Figure 3)
Even in large companies, perceived authenticity decreases hardly
at all if employees rate the importance of their own work highly.