Originally found at Phys.org by Cynthia Corzo

Is authenticity truly beneficial in the workplace? Are places of work conducive to employee authenticity? Not for everyone, research from FIU Business finds.

"The main insight: We caution this notion of encouraging everyone to be authentic,” said Brooke Buckman, assistant professor of global leadership and management at FIU Busines who co-authored “Being Your True Self At Work,” published in the July 2019 issue of the Academy of Management Annals. “In a lot of instances being your true self isn’t always treated equally in the business world.”

As public interest in authenticity increases, she added, research both reinforces and tempers the existing enthusiasm surrounding the topic.

Buckman and her co-authors analyzed more than 100 empirical and seminal studies published since 1997 on individual authenticity in different organizations. The consensus of most authenticity-focused research is that "there are such great personal benefits to authenticity, that we should encourage everyone to be authentic, even at work," Buckman said.

However, those personal benefits, including feeling happier and more energized, often come at a career-focused cost for minorities, making them feel they're walking on a tightrope.

Continue reading original article at Phys.org.

Read the original research in Academy of Management Annals

Read the research summary on AOM Insights

Learn more about the AOM Scholars and explore their work:

• Sandra E. Cha, Brandeis University
• Patricia Faison Hewlin, McGill University
• Laura Morgan Roberts, Georgetown University
• Brooke R. Buckman, Florida International University
• Hannes Leroy, Erasmus University
• Erica L. Steckler, University of Massachusetts Lowell
• Kathryn Ostermeier, Bryant University
• Danielle Cooper, University of North Texas