Peek behind the curtain of our storied institutions down to the smallest local historical societies, and you may find internal politics threatening the collaborative spirit that ought to fuel these teams.
Today, we’re exploring a recent study in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications about how authentic leadership can counteract the harmful effects of organizational politics and foster a more positive, productive work environment in public sector museums. Let’s take a closer look because it’s all quite interesting:
Over the past three decades, leadership studies have witnessed a paradigm shift from traditional, leader-centric models to more interactive and relational approaches emphasizing the dynamic interplay between leaders and followers. Amidst this evolution, authentic leadership has emerged as a prominent construct, focusing on genuinely expressing a leader’s values and behaviors, which resonate deeply with followers’ needs and aspirations. Despite growing evidence of its positive impacts on follower outcomes, a critical gap remains in understanding how authentic leadership functions within specific organizational contexts, particularly those characterized by complex power dynamics and perceived organizational politics…
Study aims and framework
How does leadership impact perceptions of organizational politics and employee attitudes in museums? More specifically, can authentic leadership — a style defined by transparency, ethical consistency, and self-awareness — mitigate the negative effects of perceived politics? The study gets pretty technical, so we’ve parsed it for high-level takeaways.
Terms to know:
Social exchange theory posits that workplace relationships are built on reciprocity. Employees who feel valued and treated fairly by leaders are more likely to reciprocate with loyalty and cooperative engagement. This theory aligns perfectly with the tenets of authentic leadership.
Conservation of resources theory complements SET, suggesting that employees will strive to protect their emotional and psychological resources — things like time, energy, and social support. Organizational politics drain these resources, leading to burnout and disengagement.
Organizational citizenship behaviors are those not explicitly required for a staff member’s current task or role, yet contribute to an organization’s operations and growth. OCBI is individual-focused and OCBO is organization-focused. OCBIs involve helping behaviors directed toward other individuals (e.g., assisting a sick coworker), while OCBOs involve actions directed at the entire organization, like participating in a voluntary company fundraiser. Both are widely agreed upon assets in high-functioning organizations (source).
What are the big takeaways?
The study surveyed 436 employees across six public sector museums in Pakistan, including supervisors and their immediate subordinates, and found a few things that may seems obvious but are nevertheless impactful to see spelled out:
Perceptions of politics are harmful.
Organizational politics — self-serving actions, unfair practices, etc. — were strongly linked to decreased job satisfaction and increased stress among employees. Note one of the items on the study’s Likert scale assessment: “There are cliques or groups that exist in the organization that hinder productivity.” Not conducive to a thriving workplace!
Authentic leadership makes a difference.
Leaders who demonstrated transparency, fairness, and ethical decision-making significantly reduced the negative effects of perceived politics. “Authentic leadership acts as a buffer” and creates a culture where employees feel valued and supported — which leads to a more engaged, productive, and harmonious work environment.
Trust is a major factor.
Employees working under authentic leaders reported higher levels of trust and engagement, which in turn improved collaboration and morale.
Practical implications for museum leadership
So, how can museum leaders apply these findings in their daily work? Start here:
- Share the “why” behind decisions, whether about budget allocation, exhibit assignments, or hiring. Your transparency builds trust and reduces assumptions of bias.
- Encourage staff to voice concerns and ideas without fear of retribution.
- Align your actions with the mission and ethical standards of your museum — teams need to see leaders practicing what they preach.
- Recognize that workplace politics drains staff. Support emotional well-being by providing resources, recognition, and clear pathways for professional growth to keep employees engaged.
Since it’s January, do some new year assessments. Think about your workplace and ask the following questions:
- From the staff perspective, how often do decisions feel opaque?
- Does the staff trust leadership to act in their best interests?
- What changes could you make today to improve transparency and fairness in your museum?
- What steps can you take to ensure your team feels valued, supported, and motivated to advance your museum’s mission?
Important note: Museums are a little different from other sectors and organizations in that intrinsic motivation plus a strong cultural and educational mission can sometimes override negative effects of organizational politics (i.e., passionate staff might carry on in the face of unfavorable conditions). That’s not something to take advantage of, rather to be particularly mindful of when it comes to true assessment of morale and strategies for improvement.
In light of this observation, the study calls for operations research that focuses on museum-specific factors and exploration of other leadership styles in museums, namely transformational and servant leadership. We’ll certainly be keeping an eye out.
