The Interactive Effect of a Leader’s Sense of Uniqueness and Sense of Belongingness on Followers’ Perceptions of Leader Authenticity

Michelle Xue Zheng (), Yingjie Yuan (), Marius Dijke (), David Cremer () and Alain Van Hiel ()
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Michelle Xue Zheng: China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)
Yingjie Yuan: University of Groningen
Marius Dijke: Erasmus University
David Cremer: University of Cambridge
Alain Van Hiel: Ghent University

Journal of Business Ethics, 2020, vol. 164, issue 3, No 6, 515-533

Abstract: Abstract Researchers have emphasized the value of authenticity, but not much is known about what makes a person authentic in the eyes of others. Our research takes an interpersonal perspective to examine the determinants of followers’ perceptions of leader authenticity. Building on social identity theory, we propose that two fundamental self-identifications–a leader’s sense of uniqueness and sense of belongingness–interact to influence followers’ perceptions of a leader’s authenticity via perceptions of a leader’s self-concept consistency. In a field study conducted among leader–follower dyads and in a controlled laboratory experiment, we find that when a leader feels a low sense of belongingness, there is a positive relationship between a leader’s sense of uniqueness and perceptions of leader authenticity. When a leader feels a low sense of uniqueness, there is a positive relationship between a leader’s sense of belongingness and perceptions of leader authenticity. This is because followers perceive this leader as having high self-concept consistency.

Keywords: Sense of belongingness; Sense of uniqueness; Perceived leader authenticity; Self-concept consistency; Social identity theory (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10551-018-4070-4

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