This Special Issue is the result of the inaugural summit hosted by the Gallup Leadership Institute at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2004 on Authentic Leadership Development (ALD). We describe in this introduction to the special issue current thinking in this emerging field of research as well as questions and concerns. We begin by considering some of the environmental and organizational forces that may have triggered interest in describing and studying authentic leadership and its development. We then provide an overview of its contents, including the diverse theoretical and methodological perspectives presented, followed by a discussion of alternative conceptual foundations and definitions for the constructs of authenticity, authentic leaders, authentic leadership, and authentic leadership development. A detailed description of the components of authentic leadership theory is provided next. The similarities and defining features of authentic leadership theory in comparison to transformational, charismatic, servant and spiritual leadership perspectives are subsequently examined. We conclude by discussing the status of authentic leadership theory with respect to its purpose, construct definitions, historical foundations, consideration of context, relational/processual focus, attention to levels of analysis and temporality, along with a discussion of promising directions for future research.

Authentic leadership development: Getting to the root of positive forms of leadership

This essay draws from the emerging positive psychology movement and the author's recent articles on the need for and meaning of a positive approach to organizational behavior Specifically, the argument is made that at this time, the OB field needs a proactive, positive approach emphasizing strengths, rather than continuing in the downward spiral of negativity trying to fix weaknesses However, to avoid the surface positivity represented by the non-sustainable best-sellers, the case is made for positive organizational behavior (POB) to take advantage of the OB field's strength of being theory and research driven Additional criteria for this version of POB are to identify unique, state-like psychological capacities that can not only be validly measured, but also be open to development and performance management Confidence, hope, and resiliency are offered as meeting such POB inclusion criteria The overall intent of the essay is to generate some positive thinking and excitement for the OB field and ‘hopefully’ stimulate some new theory building, research, and effective application Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

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The need for and meaning of positive organizational behavior

To address present and future leadership needs, a model of authentic leader and follower development is proposed and examined with respect to its relationship to veritable, sustainable follower performance. The developmental processes of leader and follower self-awareness and self-regulation are emphasized. The influence of the leader’s and followers’ personal histories and trigger events are considered as antecedents of authentic leadership and followership, as well as the reciprocal effects with an inclusive, ethical, caring and strength-based organizational climate. Positive modeling is viewed as a primary means whereby leaders develop authentic followers. Posited outcomes of authentic leader–follower relationships include heightened levels of follower trust in the leader, engagement, workplace well-being and veritable, sustainable performance. Testable propositions and directions for exploring them are presented and discussed.

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“Can you see the real me?” A self-based model of authentic leader and follower development

http://erlanbakiev.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/8/3/10833829/emerging_positive_organizational_behavior.pdf

Emerging Positive Organizational Behavior

The positive core construct of psychological capital (or simply PsyCap), consisting of the psychological resources of hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism, has recently been demonstrated to be open to human resource development (HRD) and performance management. The research stream on PsyCap has now grown to the point that a quantitative summary analysis of its impact on employee attitudes, behaviors, and especially performance is needed. The present meta-analysis included 51 independent samples (representing a total of N � 12,567 employees) that met the inclusion criteria. The results indicated the expected significant positive relationships between PsyCap and desirable employee attitudes (job satisfaction, organizational commitment, psychological well-being), desirable employee behaviors (citizenship), and multiple measures of performance (self, supervisor evaluations, and objective). There was also a significant negative relationship between PsyCap and undesirable employee attitudes (cynicism, turnover intentions, job stress, and anxiety) and undesirable employee behaviors (deviance). A sub-analysis found no major differences between the types of performance measures used (i.e., between self, subjective, and objective). Finally, the analysis of moderators revealed the relationship between PsyCap and employee outcomes were strongest in studies conducted in the United States and in the service sector. These results provide a strong evidence-based recommendation for the use of PsyCap in HRD and performance programs. Theoretical contributions, future research directions, and practical guidelines for HRD conclude the article.

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Meta-Analysis of the Impact of Positive Psychological Capital on Employee Attitudes, Behaviors, and Performance.

https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1151&context=managementfacpub

Positive psychological capital: Beyond human and social capital

– The purpose of this study is to hypothesize and test a conceptual model linking concepts of leadership and positive organizational behavior to a reduction in employee negativity, with empowerment as an important mediator in the causal relationships., – A heterogeneous sample of 341 working adults completed survey measures as two separate points in time. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to validate psychometric properties of instruments, and path analysis using structural equation modeling software was used to test hypotheses., – As hypothesized, both transformational leadership (β=0.27) and positive psychological capital (hope, efficacy, resilience and optimism) (β=0.61) were significantly related to feelings of empowerment. Empowerment was significantly related to intentions to quit (β=−0.38) but not employee cynicism. Empowerment also fully mediated the relationship between the independent variables and intentions to quit., – A convenience sampling method limited the generalizability of results. Causal and longitudinal research designs would extend findings discussed here. Implications for management are significant in terms of countering employee negativity using leadership processes, employee selection and development., – This study offers the first conceptual model integrating emerging concepts from positive organizational behavior, in the form of positive psychological capacities, with validated leadership models (transformational leadership). Both were suggested to influence negative outcomes, with empowerment as an effective mediator of these relationships. Findings generally support the hypotheses advanced herein.

http://www.leadmore.org/NWCOR/Content/Readings/Authored%20Articles/avey%20hughes%20norman%20luthans%202008.pdf

Using positivity, transformational leadership and empowerment to combat employee negativity

Psychological capital (PsyCap) consisting of the psychological resources of hope, efficacy, resiliency, and optimism has been empirically demonstrated in the published literature to be related to manager and employee positive organizational outcomes and to be open to development. However, to date, little attention has been devoted to the impact of this positive core construct on important student-related outcomes. This study tests the relationship between business students’ PsyCap and their academic performance (grade point average [GPA]). The results indicate not only the predictive relationship between PsyCap and GPA, but also have important implications for training of PsyCap for business student development, retention, and success.

The Impact of Business School Students’ Psychological Capital on Academic Performance

A variety of studies demonstrate a clear linkage between the positive psychological capacities of employees and desirable workplace outcomes However, to date, little empirical research exists which has examined this relationship Given current and projected challenges in healthcare industry, the need for nurses who are committed to the mission of their organization has never been more critical The authors report findings from a study designed to examine the important linkage between nurses' self-reported positive psychological capital (PsyCap) and their "intentions to stay" as well as their supervisors' ratings of their commitment to the mission of the organization The authors found a highly significant positive relationship between PsyCap and the "intentions to stay" and commitment to the mission, values, and goals of the hospital Practical implications for effectively managing PsyCap in the workplace are presented

The linkage between psychological capital and commitment to organizational mission: a study of nurses.

The now widely recognized core construct of psychological capital (PsyCap) consists of the state-like positive psychological resources of hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism. PsyCap has been empirically shown in the research literature to be related to various employee attitudinal, behavioral, and performance outcomes and open to development and change. Most recently, PsyCap has also been shown to be significantly related to business student academic performance. Using a pretest, posttest control group design, the present study tested whether the PsyCap of business students can be developed through a micro-training intervention. Results from this quasi-experimental study provide initial support that the Academic PsyCap of business students can be positively affected by a short training intervention.

Kyle W. Luthans

Papers

Positive psychological capital: Beyond human and social capital

Using positivity, transformational leadership and empowerment to combat employee negativity

The Impact of Business School Students’ Psychological Capital on Academic Performance

The linkage between psychological capital and commitment to organizational mission: a study of nurses.

Building the Leaders of Tomorrow: The Development of Academic Psychological Capital