MASTER’S THESIS

THE IMPORTANCE OF AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP AND POSITIVE

PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPITAL THE CASE OF:TAV AIRPORT HOLDING

Author: Verita Aktash

Mentor: doc. Dr Sandra Penger

Mastering others is strength.

Mastering yourself is true power.

Lao Tzu

Authenticity – trace in Greek philosophy and means “know thyself”.

Word authentic etymologically is connected with word “authento” which mean having full power.

Positive psychology deals with strengths of the people rather than their weaknesses, and how they can be develop rather then stay fixed.

PURPOSE

To describe authentic leadership and positive psychological capital as a

base and crucial tools for successful way of achieving goals

and targets.

OBJECTIVES

1. In depth analysis of the concepts of authentic leadership and PPC, and to provide an overview of how implementation of these concepts can improve performance and contribute to achieving of organizational goals.

2. Using the case of TAV Airports Holding in Skopje in a research, to examine the influence of the concepts of authentic leadership and PPC in the company’s organizational success.

Components of Authentic Leadership

o Self - awareness: Leader being aware of his own personal and professional characteristics ( feelings, professional values and motives).

o Self - regulation: Leader’s capacity of being consistent in his actions and conversations, and being objective in setting organizational goals. Standards.

o Balance - processing: Leader’s objective decision making quality during which he takes into consideration all relevant data and views.

o Rational transparency: - Transparency at all level of the organization. With transparency employees can easily understand the motives and plans of their leaders.

Components of Positive Psychological Capital

o Confidence: Capability to activate cognitive resources to get specific results.

o Hope: To have will power and pathways to reach goals.

o Optimism: Predicting that good things will happened in the future.

o Resilience: Ability to cope with adverse events.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.How authentic leadership improves leadership performance in TAV Airport Holding?

2.How positive psychological capital contribute to a better working atmosphere between leaders and followers in TAV Airport Holding?

RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS

1.Authentic leadership questionnaire

2. Positive psychological capital questionnaire

RESEARCH INSTRUMENTSThe questionnaires were distributed to four groups of employees within TAV Skopje:the high level managers the middle level managers the low – level managers the non – managerial employees.

The employees were requested to express their genuine opinion and assessment to the questions set forth within the questionnaires.

The five point Likert scale was used to characterize the level of agreement, ranging from: (1) Almost never true; (2) Seldom true; (3) Occasionally true; (4) Frequently true; and (5) Almost always true.

TAV AIRPORT HOLDING

TAV Airport Holding was established in Istanbul in 1997 as a join venture of Tepe and Akfen Groups.

As TAV Airports Holding, they are among the major airport operating companies, not only in Turkey, but in the world today.

TAV Airports assumed the operation in Macedonia, Skopje as of march 2010.

TAV Macedonia, won the best project award at the Real Estate and Investment Exhibition organized for the first time in Macedonia in 2011.

RESULTS

Components of Authentic Leadership

SELF - AWARENES

Q5. My leader is aware of the influence that he/she has over employees?

RATIONAL - TRANSPARENCY

Q12. My leader express his/her Ideas and thoughts clearly to

others?

Elements of Positive Psychological Capital

HOPE

Q5. I can see myself as a very successful in my job?

OPTIMISM

Q11. Regarding my Job I normally look on the bright

side of the things?

Limitations of the research and further implications

• TAV Macedonia managers were cautious in extending immediate and full cooperation to my survey, fearing discontent of their parent organization in Istanbul, thus asking Headquarters authorization in responding to each of my requests.

• An anonymous questionnaire would bring better results reflecting real opinions.

• The fact that the concept is new in Macedonia, the participants to the survey may lack familiarity to it.

Limitations of the research and further implications

• The participants may feel unfamiliar to the questionnaire being used, therefore might have had difficulties in responding to the questions appropriately and as expected.

• The participants might have not reflected their genuine opinion when responding to the questionnaire, for not ruining the reputation of their organization.

Recommendation for practice

• The leaders should be more open to alternative opinions and advices prior reaching conclusions.

• The leaders must be transparent and accept mistakes when they occur.

• The leaders must continue to be conscious of their weak and strong sides.

• The leaders should maintain awareness of the influence they have on their employees

Recommendation for practice

• The employees should be more confident in participating to discussion about strategies of their company.

• They shall be willing to attend training programs to advance their self-esteem and courage in expressing their opinions on issues affecting the company’s success and their professional development.

• The employees should remain optimistic in their own and company’s work and achievements although things may not go well at occasions.

• The employees should be resilient and be able to manage complicated situations if they occur.

November, 2013 Author: Verita Aktash