Authentic leadership and followers’ cheating behaviour: A laboratory experiment from a self-concept maintenance perspective

Braun, S.; Hornuf, L.

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-65307-5_9

Authentic leadership and followers’ cheating behaviour: A laboratory experiment from a self-concept maintenance perspective

Braun, S.; Hornuf, L.

Authors

Professor Susanne Braun susanne.braun@durham.ac.uk
Professor

L. Hornuf

Contributors

D. Cotter-Lockard
Editor

Abstract

This chapter presents insights into the question whether followers’ perceptions of authentic leadership attenuate cheating. From the perspective of self-concept maintenance theory, followers will cheat so long as they can maintain a positive self-concept. We suggested that authentic leadership lowers the perceptual threshold under which followers can still consider themselves honest. A laboratory experiment combined video-based variations of authentic leadership with a cheating-of-mind experiment. We collected data from 343 students at a German university. Results indicate that participants cheated, but not to the fullest extent possible. Authentic leadership did not affect the extent to which participants cheated. These results held when moderating variables were tested (e.g., cheating norm, victimization). Hence, the findings do not support the notion that a short-term authentic leadership intervention attenuates cheating.

Citation

Braun, S., & Hornuf, L. (2018). Authentic leadership and followers’ cheating behaviour: A laboratory experiment from a self-concept maintenance perspective. In D. Cotter-Lockard (Ed.), Authentic leadership and followership : international perspectives (215-244). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65307-5_9

Acceptance Date	Apr 4, 2017
Online Publication Date	Dec 14, 2017
Publication Date	Jan 1, 2018
Deposit Date	Apr 4, 2017
Publicly Available Date	Dec 14, 2019
Publisher	Palgrave Macmillan
Pages	215-244
Series Title	Palgrave studies in leadership and followership
Book Title	Authentic leadership and followership : international perspectives.
ISBN	9783319653068
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65307-5_9
Public URL	https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1639772

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Copyright Statement
Braun, S. & Hornuf, L., Authentic leadership and followers’ cheating behaviour: A laboratory experiment from a self-concept maintenance perspective., 2018, Palgrave Macmillan reproduced with permission of Palgrave Macmillan. This extract is taken from the author's original manuscript and has not been edited. The definitive, published, version of record is available here: http://www.palgrave.com/gb/book/9783319653068