20 |
FIGURE 5
Power does not compensate for surface acting
I don’t feel
very authentic
in my work
Yes
Ich habe eine
einflussreiche Position
im Unternehmen
(Macht)
No
At work I have to express
feelings that I don’t really feel
(surface acting)
Yes Yes No
I don’t feel
very authentic
in my work
I feel
very authentic
in my work
No
Ich habe eine
einflussreiche Position
im Unternehmen
(Macht)
I feel
authentic
in my work
If employees are required to engage in surface acting frequently,
even the experience of power cannot reduce their feeling of selfalienation.
Even a markedly collaborative management style cannot mitigate
this effect. In fact, the opposite appears to be the case. Although
a good relationship with one’s manager generally has
a positive effect on experienced authenticity, if employees engage
in SURFACE ACTING, it can happen that – out of loyalty
to their manager – their feeling of being forced into a role they
do not consider to be authentic is intensified. As a result, they
remain trapped even longer in a working relationship characterised
by self-alienation.
Other psychological studies support this observation: ambivalent
relationships tend to upset people’s psychological balance
more than relationships that are consistently negative
(Uchino et al., 2013). Having to smile at a pleasant boss in order
to make a good impression, even though one does not feel the
action to be authentic, is a classic case of ambivalence that accentuates
self-alienation. (Figure 5)
In everyday corporate practice, this can mean that, if you
wish to promote authenticity, you should avoid forced surface
acting as far as possible. That is not possible, however,
in certain industries and certain functions, e.g. because exuding
a certain type of friendliness is considered good form
when dealing with customers – even when one doesn’t feel
it. In this case, understanding the strong negative correlation
between surface acting and authentic behaviour on the part
of managers can help to promote an understanding of the
role and tasks of the employees in question and to deal with
these better. ||
»
Culture plays a very important role.
In my experience, it is very difficult to
express one’s opinion in a company
«
where management is very hierarchical.
Manager, 51, large enterprise