Leader’s Authenticity and Workplace Cynicism of Selected Manufacturing Firms in Rivers State

ABSTRACT: This paper investigated the relationship between leader’s authenticity and workplace cynicism inmanufacturing firms in Rivers State. The paper adopted a cross sectional research design. A total of one hundredand fifty (150) management personnelcomprises managers andheads of departmentsof the sixteen (16)functional manufacturing firms in Rivers State constituted the population of the study. We adopted a censusmethod of sampling due to the fact sixteen (16) manufacturing firms is within the range for census sampling.The main data collection instrument for this study was structured questionnaire. A total of seventy-seven (77)copies of the questionnaire were distributed but seventy-two (72) were retrieved while five (5) were notreturned. Tables, percentages, Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation Coefficients and Statistical Package forSocial Scienceversion 23 were used for data presentation, analysis and testing of hypotheses to determine therelationship between leader’s authenticity and workplace cynicism. The paper revealed that there isnorelationship betweenleader’s authenticity and workplace cynicism; that is to say, if the leader exhibits thecharacteristics and dispositions of authenticity in the workplace there will be no workplace cynicism rather therewill be workplace climate that ensure peace and pursuit of excellence. Furthermore, the study revealed that, oneof the major causes of workplace cynicism is when the leader begins to circumvent standard practices in adishonest proportion to advanced self and sectional interests at the expense of others.The study concludedthatworkplace cynicism leads to boredom and frustration because the perception an employee holds directly orindirectly affect his/her productivity and commitment or otherwise to work. The study therefore recommendedthat Leader’s should exhibit high moral, honest and equity values in the workplace as regarding theadministration of policies and procedures because their actions and dispositions impact on the perception andreactions of employees in the workplace which will in turn negatively or positively affect their performance.

Keywords: Leader’s authenticity, Workplace cynicism, Disposition, Style and Performance