Abstract/Summary

This research investigates the perceptions of authentic leadership of senior leaders in the United Arab Emirates. Additionally, it aims to identify if religiosity and personal values influence differences between Emirati and non-Emirati leaders’ perceptions of authentic leadership in both the private and public sectors. The central research question of this study is: “To what extent do senior leaders in the UAE perceive their leadership as authentic, and are differences evidenced between Emirati and non-Emirati leaders influenced by religion, religiosity, personal values, and national culture? This research is contextualized in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) within the public and private sectors using a cross-sectional sample of Emirati and non-Emirati leaders. The research design follows a quantitative approach, using data from surveys to address the research questions and hypotheses, using linear and hierarchical regression analysis. Authentic leadership is defined as leader behavior that draws upon and promotes positive psychological capacities and an ethical climate to foster greater self-awareness, an internalized moral perspective, balanced processing of information, and relational transparency on the part of leaders as they engage with their followers. The study found that this four-factor authentic leadership model, first proposed by Luthans and Avolio (2003), which includes the dimensions of self-awareness, internalized moral perspective, relational transparency, and balanced processing, is valid in the context of the UAE for both Emirati and non-Emirati leaders. No significant differences were evidenced between leaders based on the variables of religion, religiosity, and national culture, supporting the universality of the authentic leadership model in the context of the UAE. Amongst the ten universal values proposed by Schwartz (1992, 1994, 2004), namely, universalism, benevolence, tradition, conformity, security, power, achievement, hedonism, stimulation, and self-direction, only achievement and stimulation were found to influence a leader’s perceptions of authentic leadership. Leaders with a substantial value of achievement have higher perceptions of authentic leadership. In contrast, the value of stimulation has a significant, negative influence on perceptions of authenticity. CEO age and education are also significant predictors of authentic leadership. Older CEOs have higher perceptions of authentic leadership, while CEOs who do not have a university degree have lower perceptions of authentic leadership. This research is among the first to use a cross-cultural, comparative analysis between Emirati and non-Emirati leaders. Given that access to the upper echelons of leadership is rare, this study offers a unique opportunity to capture these insights. The research results are timely, given the increased global interest in exploring the dynamics of the Arab world related to leadership, particularly the UAE, and the developing economic and political importance of the nation and the region. This thesis has partly addressed some of the gaps in the literature related to authentic leadership in a cross-cultural context. It contributes to the nascent research on leadership in the Arab region and demonstrates the relationship between a leader’s values and authenticity. It offers practical insights for local and expatriate leadership development in the UAE. Additionally, the research calls for additional work to expand on the perceptions of women leaders, particularly the position of women in senior management, and if differences are evidenced due to intercultural values, practices, or religion.