Following Authentically: Tarnishing Idealized Models and Moving Beyond Assumptions

• In Event: Followers Ahead and Behind —Note the Variances Within

Short Description

This presentation will critique assumption-based theories on authentic followership (and leadership), drawing upon an analysis of extant literature and empirical research. Using a case-study of the UK public sector, the presenter will articulate a reconceptualization for following authentically to consider how such processes occur for individuals within challenging and turbulent environments.

Detailed Abstract

Introduction:

This presentation will provide insight in to the emergent findings from an empirical study conducted exploring processes of following, with a particular focus on the notion of following authentically. The alignment of this study with and problematisation of the existing literature bases of authentic leadership and authentic followership will be discussed, before providing an overview of the research approach adopted. At the time of presentation, the author will share and outline her theoretical framework and metaphor for following authentically and will use illustrative data extracts from an empirical study in doing so.

Authentic Followership (and Leadership):

Authentic followership is a relatively new concept that has had presence within recent publications on followership (Lapierre & Carsten, 2014; Riggio et al, 2008). As a popular area in the leadership field, followers began to be incorporated into several theoretical models based on authentic leadership. However, the ways in which this has been done raises questions about the underlying assumptions and idealisations that have played a part in the positioning and portrayal of followers.

Authenticity for followership and leadership can be understood as being centred on being true to the self and demonstrating integrity (Zilwa, 2014), as well as openness and transparency (Leroy et al, 2012; Yagil & Medler-Liraz, 2014). Clearly, all desirable characteristics and behaviours for not only leaders but also followers to demonstrate, yet little is known about the extent to which this is attainable with the majority of publications being either conceptual in nature or based on self-assessment questionnaires, potentially incurring bias. There is a lack of empirical research focused on exploring the feasibility of authenticity through the reflections of those doing following and leading.

The author adopts a unique approach to critiquing the existing authentic leadership and followership literature, focusing on the ways in which followers have been incorporated, including categories of: pure focus on authentic leaders; followers perceptions of authentic leaders; the impact of authentic leaders on followers; and, an equal focus or pure focus on authentic followers. The latter in particular has very limited presence, reflective of the imbalance still present between followership and leadership fields with followers often being the “afterthought” (Avolio & Reichard, 2008, p.325; Kelley, 2008, p.5).
However, even where followers are incorporated there is a tendency to assume that authentic followers will be produced as a result of being exposed to an authentic leader and the ideal working conditions, with notions of mirroring their leader (Hsiung, 2012) or a “contagion” effect (Avolio & Reichard, 2008, p.333). With the central premises of authenticity including being true to self, being open and transparent and demonstrating integrity, it is questionable as to how feasible this will be for followers compared to their leaders when considering issues of power and organisational positioning differences. This arguably neglects the potential for followers to have agency, and in doing so is not reflective of the contemporary followership field more broadly. Furthermore, with existing models incorporating not only ideal leaders and followers, but also ideal contexts it highlights the issue of whether they are appropriate and applicable in contemporary organisations. Clearly then, there is a need to recognise and explore how the concept of authentic leadership and followership occurs in reality and to capture this to reflect a more realistic understanding that moves beyond assumptions.

This study aims to address this gap, focusing on how following occurs through insights into lived experiences, and through these insights help to understand the complexities and challenges faced in meeting what is thought of as authentic followership and instead argue that individuals will face times where they are more and less able to demonstrate authenticity, but also that they will face times where they choose to demonstrate this more and less so.

Methodology:

This paper is based on an empirical study conducted as part of a doctoral thesis. A relational constructionist approach is adopted, with qualitative methods used to collect empirical data. The study incorporates numerous organisations from the UK Public Sector, to gain insight into the ways in which individuals do following within contexts facing significant challenges and extreme reforms (Pederson & Hartley, 2008). Through this it also addresses calls for further research on followership in the public sector (Collinson, 2006). Participants are from a range of organisations including healthcare, education, defence services, as well as central and local government, thus enabling breadth of insight into this underexplored area.

Data, collected from a multiple method approach (including interviews, visual diaries and photo-elicitation interviews), will be presented to provide rich insights into participants’ experiences. Through this, the data will further facilitate the problematisation of existing models of authentic followership and leadership.


A New Theoretical Framework and Metaphor for Following Authentically:

At the time of conference the author will present her theoretical framework, emerging from the analysis of both existing literature and empirical data. The author will also present her metaphor for the reconceptualization of following authentically. Through this the author hopes to engage the audience in a critical discussion about the need to problematize existing models and understandings to determine their fit in the contemporary turbulent contexts that organisations and individuals are located within.

Participant

• Rachael L. Thompson, Northumbria University