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DISTINCTIVENESS COMPENSATES
FOR WORK-FAMILY CONFLICT
The experience of being special, valued, and unique also affects
another factor that can diminish authenticity: WORK-FAMILY
CONFLICT, i.e. emotional burdens stemming from a poor
work-life balance tend to have a slightly negative effect on authenticity.
If the differing demands of professional life and family
life lead to conflicts, the level of self-alienation increases.
This lack of authenticity, too, is reduced when the respondents
have the impression that they are special, valued, and unique.
Restated, occupying a special role in the organisation that
earns a high degree of recognition buffers against the negative
effect of work family conflict on authenticity. This interdependence
can even intensify: the stronger the conflict between
private life and professional life, the more often individuals
who deem their work to be important or the “real thing” seek
refuge in it. More or less forgoing private life, however, can
result in individuals experiencing themselves as even less authentic
than before – thus compounding the negative effect
on authenticity.
Resolving this dilemma is certainly no trivial matter for companies,
and each case needs to be examined and dealt with
individually. The problem warrants special attention, particularly
in professions that demand a lot of employees in terms of
time and/or emotional commitment. (Figure 4)
POWER DOES NOT COMPENSATE
FOR SURFACE ACTING
One of the biggest obstacles to authenticity is surface acting,
which we referred to earlier. It can best be described as the
requirement in some professions to show emotions that one
does not really feel. In professions with constant customer
contact – e.g. in call centres and in sales, but also in leadership/management
roles – this type of behaviour is often even
specifically trained and forms part of what is expected of a
person in that position. This type of “emotional labour” is one
of the biggest causes of a feeling of SELF-ALIENATION in the
working world. This is particularly true of managers who are
repeatedly called upon to surface act.
Although there are indications that power could restore authenticity,
this pattern of behaviour was not fully evident in
the study. Thus, we cannot simply conclude that the feeling of
self-alienation can be overcome by extending one’s position
of power within the company. Managers, too, are impaired in
their authentic self-image when they have to put on a brave
front although they don’t feel it.
>>
»
I can achieve
maximum authenticity
only if both
areas – private life
and professional
life – are positive,
as it were,
«
in
unison.
Manager, 40, medium-sized enterprise
FIGURE 4
Distinctiveness compensates for work-family conflict
I don’t feel
very authentic
in my work
Yes
I feel unique, special
and valued in my organisation
(distinctiveness)
No
My work conflicts
with my private life
Yes Yes No
I feel
authentic
in my work
I feel
very authentic
in my work
I feel
authentic
in my work
If employees perceive themselves to be unique, special, and valued
in their organisation, work-family conflict has less negative impact
on their feelings of authenticity.
No
I feel unique, special
and valued in my organisation
(distinctiveness)