Authenticity at Work: A Matter of Fit?

R. van den Bosch, T.W. Taris*, W.B. Schaufeli, M.C.W. Peeters, G. Reijseger

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Authenticity at work refers to the extent to which a worker feels in touch with their true self while at work. At first sight this concept seems to overlap with the concept of person-environment (P-E) fit, that is, the degree to which an individual experiences good fit with their work environment. Drawing on a sample of 867 Dutch gifted workers, structural equation modeling was used to investigate (i) whether authenticity at work and P-E fit can be distinguished, and (ii) how authenticity at work and P-E fit were associated with employee well-being. As expected, confirmatory factor analysis revealed that authenticity at work and P-E fit were distinct from each other. Moreover, the mediated effect of authenticity at work was stronger for two negative forms of well-being (burnout and boredom) than for two positive forms of well-being (work engagement and job satisfaction). The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed, especially focusing on the distinction between authenticity and P-E fit.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)247-266
JournalJournal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied
Volume153
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2019

Keywords

  • Authenticity at work
  • boredom
  • burnout
  • job satisfaction
  • P-E fit
  • work engagement

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