Definition of Ethical Leadership Ethical leadership simply means the act of leading by knowing and doing what is right (Wise Geek, 2014). A leader that exhibit ethical leadership understands his or her core values, principles, and beliefs and live true to those values. An ethical leader serves as a mirror through which people view and perceive the organization they represent. Moral and ethical leaders serve as role models for others, who sets realistic, yet a high moral and ethical standards for others to follow and abide. This handbook will help managers to understand the importance and the principle of the moral and ethical leadership, the path to a better ethical decision making, and ways to create a moral and ethical organizational culture. The Importance of Moral and Ethical Leadership Moral and ethical leaders are essential for any successful business because these leaders are the essential links between the organization’s objectives and its stakeholders. Leaders are the face of any organization, and their actions reflect the values and the ethics the organization they represent. Therefore, if a leader’s action and decision is ethical, the stakeholders and other organizations will respect the leader and the organization. Recent history has shown that ethical behaviors are important in sustaining businesses; large corporations such as Enron, Chevron, and Worldcom, destroyed people’s lives through unethical business behaviors (Josephson, M., 2013). If these corporations and its executives have operated morally and ethically, they would have been able to avoid bankruptcy and escaped going to prison (The Economist, 2002). Having ethical leadership in organizations will help to eliminate the negative impact executive’s gre... ... middle of paper ... ...EO down to the lowest position in the organization. Punishing a leader who violates the code of ethics, regardless of the years or greater contribution such leader have contributed to the organization will reinforce the importance of adhering to the organization’s code of ethics. Rewards: Everyone loves to be rewarded for doing something right, employees always feel happy and secured when their leaders praised them. The management should publicly praise the employees or departments that adhere to the code, and encourage the workers to continue the good behavior. When possible, leaders can share some of the money saved by avoiding fraud and litigations with the employees. In conclusion, when an organization has leaders who act morally and ethically, in actions, and decision making, the result will directly impact the leaders and the company’s reputation positively.
Ethical leadership is hard to define according to research cited by Yukl, (2013). Ethics depends on time, culture, and laws. We can attempt to define ethical leadership by looking at the leader’s behavior, values and how he or she influences followers (Yukl, 2013). Every organization has ethical and moral guidelines stipulated through their policies, rules and regulations. A leader who is honest and trustworthy can be said as an ethical leader. But it depends on how the behavior is reflected in the organization and the employees. Ethical leadership can also be defined as to whether the behaviors violate cultural customs and laws of the society. Personal morals and ethics may be in conflict with managing the organization
Leaders who treat their employees with fairness, honesty, and provide frequent, accurate information are seen as more effective. According to Robbins and Judge (2014), “trust is a primary attribute associated with leadership and followers who trust a leader are confident their rights and interest will not be abused” (p.193). The old General Motor Corporation had eleven different CEO’s from 1923 until 2009 each with their own unique leadership style, which directed employees toward the organization goals. Unfortunately, many of the top level managers under the CEO’s had the tendency of filtering out information that did not match up with their pre-conceived notions about a particular issue and they lacked upward communication. One consumer goal of General Motors was to build trust in the company so people would be repeat customers, but building trust between employees and establishing an ethical culture was not a top priority of the organization. Goal directed leadership alone is important, but differs from a structure of leadership based on ethics. It is important to note, that effective leadership may not be the same as leadership founded on ethical principles. Business competence must exist, along with personal leadership accountability in ethical decisions. Within the General Motors organization, ethics and leadership did not interconnect; there were misalignment between the
Looking at the first word in ethical leadership we see, as stated in the Webster-Merriam dictionary, ethical is defined as “following accepted rules of behavior: morally right and good”. When we think of someone who is ethical we, first, think of someone who ‘follows the rules’. By following the rules I mean someone who in the eyes of the majority is morally sound. Having strong morals is what I believe the key is to an ethical person. On the other side of the definition of ethical is defining it as having inside oneself the desire to do what’s right over what is wrong. When we speak about someone who is ethical this desire is one that is not dependent on external forces i.e. no one can sway an ethical person’s mindset.
We don’t need to see ethical leadership as a weak or a soft-hearted concept of a leader. An ethical leader that bring out characters such as forgiveness, love and trust can become an advantage to that leader. These character or value are able to make his or her subordinate to bring out their hidden capabilities that is give positive impact to their work, increase the commitment of the employee to their own work and company, also get rid of the feeling of distrust by the employee to the leader. This kind of leader may touch the heart of their subordinate trough their sincerity, and able to inspire them to act ethically also. By building strong relationship that is beyond boss and employee relationship, all of the vision and mission of the company can be transferred and understand well by those who work under
German Philosopher, Immanuel Kant once said, “In law a man is guilty when he violates the rights of others. In ethics he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so” (1800). The word ethics refers to “character” and “conduct” (Northouse, 2015, p. 330). It is deeply “concerned with the virtuousness of individuals and their motives” and “the kinds of values and morals an individual or a society finds desirable or appropriate” (Northouse, 2015, p. 330). Thus, “in regards to leadership, ethics is concerned with what leaders do and who leaders are” (Northouse, 2015, p. 330). Ethics in leadership allows leaders to make decisions regarding what is virtuous or not in a situation. All throughout the history of American government, difficult decisions have been made and the fight for ethics has always been “implicitly or explicitly involved” (Northouse, 2015, p. 330).
Y Scouts describes an ethical leader as someone who is not afraid to do what is right even if it is unpopular or inconvenient (Y Scouts, n.d.). They also state that some of the traits an exemplary ethical leader will display are honesty, justice and respect to others (Y Scouts, n.d.). The leader I think exhibits exemplary ethical conduct is Travis Zarlingo. He is a Foreman for a construction company in Las Vegas and always shows ethical conduct at his company. First, he is always honest. He is open and truthful with his employees and fellow co-workers. He speaks the truth whether people like it or not. If it is right and ethical he will stand by it no matter what the costs are. Secondly, he always shows respect to others. This is one area
Specifically, six themes regarding ethical leadership emerged from the study. Survey respondents from all societies prioritized these six traits as necessary for ethical leadership. First, ethical leaders are accountable. They abide by rules and regulations and take personal responsibility while holding others accountable. Second, ethical leaders have consideration and respect for others. They are approachable, treat others with respect, and demonstrate empathy. Third, ethical leaders are fair. They make objective decisions and do not show favoritism. Fourth, ethical leaders have a strong character. They are sincere and they lead by example, demonstrating integrity and courage. Fifth, ethical leaders have a collective orientation. They promote teamwork and collaboration while protecting the interests of the company. Finally, ethical leaders are open and flexible. They share information, communicate effectively, and are open to diversity (Resick et al, 2011). Though cultural dimensions affect leadership practices and expectations, these attributes and behaviors emerged consistently as the requisite traits for ethical
Ethical leaders help give meaning to their employees‟ work and ensure that organizational decisions are based on sound moral values(Piccolo, Greenbaum, Den Hartog, & Folger, 2010).Ethical leaders are always making efforts to incorporate moral principles in their beliefs, values and behaviour; they are committed to higher purpose, prudence, pride, patience, and persistence (Khuntia &Suar, 2004).In conceptualizing of ethical leadership, Trevino, Hartman &Brown (2000)present a matrix comprising unethical leadership weak moral person, weak moral manager, hypocritical leadership weak moral person, strong moral manager, ethical leader strong moral person, strong moral manager, and ethically silent or neutral leadership (weak/strong moral person, weak moral manager). In a similar fashion, Trevino &Brown (2004) propose an executive must be perceived as both a “moral person” and a “moral manager to have a reputation of ethical leadership. “A “moral person” is related to good character; the leader is honest and trustworthy, show concern for employee welfare and is seen as approachable. Whereas, a “moral manager,” is one who leads others on the ethical dimension, allow employee to know what is expected, and holds them
(2005), describes ethical leadership as “the demonstration of normatively appropriate conduct through personal actions and interpersonal relationships, and the promotion of such conduct to followers through two-way communication, reinforcement, and decision-making” (p. 120). Further, they engage in transactional efforts to communicate ethical standards, detect and deter deviant behaviours and make decisions that have important ethical implications. In addition, Trevino, Hartman and Brown (2000) assert that, there are three fundamental pillars which describes ethical leadership. The first one being termed as the personal integrity of the leader, also called as the moral person component of ethical leadership. The second one puts emphasis on the extent of the leader’s ability to cultivate integrity among his or her followers. The third one consists of the quality of the leader-follower relationship, which bridges the moral person and moral manager components and facilitate their effects on followers. Ethical leadership also addresses how leaders use their social power by being both moral individuals and moral managers (De Hoogh and Den Hartog,
Keeping in mind, as a leader, that he/she is a role model. Individuals will acquire ideas about the how the organization operates, the culture of the organization, and about what is considered as ethical behavior, from the leader. This paper presents a comparative analysis of three articles: Kottle and Pelletier (2013), Groves and LaRocca (2011), and Cheng and Wang (2015). These three articles concentrated on the ethical behavior of a leader. An analysis of these articles establishes a theme and general perception of the ethical behavior of a leader. The importance of understanding ethics, incentives that operate as an example and forming strategies for businesses are discussed because of their importance regarding development of good leadership. These key aspects suggest personal ethics positively affect leadership and when made a priority for leaders will produce ethical and effective leadership. An examination of the research questions will be followed by a review of the samples, results and conclusions
Johnson, C. E. (2012). Meeting the ethical challenges of leadership: casting light or shadows. (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
An organization must rely on its leaders to make the right ethical decision when faced with a problem. When the organization's leaders make ethical decisions, the organization receives many benefits. If codes of ethics are not available or have yet to be developed, an organization must agree on what values and...
First, I’ll define ethical leadership and ethical competence. Second, I will discuss the roles of ethical leadership and ethical competence in the workplace. Third, I’ll address the significance and relevance of ethical leadership in leading diverse organizational cultures. Fourth, I’ll focus on how organizational culture is shaped by ethical leadership. Fifth, I’ll share personal strategies for employing and sustaining ethical leadership. Finally, I’ll relate the key discussion items in the context of achieving positive organizational outcomes through ethical leadership and competence.
Ethical leadership organizational ethics and socially responsibility are inseparable (Johnson). Leadership is not a inherited gift or family heritage; it is not a degree from an ivy league graduate school. Becoming a leader is an intentional process of growth that must be lived out experientially (Mullane). Ethical leaders demonstrate three distinctive characteristics, knowledge, action and character. Leaders have to have the ability to say “yes” or even “no” to a never ending series of challenges. A leader needs to be able to define their values, character and leadership style. When accepting the role of leadership you become encumbered by ethical issues and concerns. .
Good, strong, ethical people can have an immeasurable impact on a company as well. “Ethical leadership creates an ethical culture. Top managers provide a blueprint for a firm’s corporate culture. If these leaders fail to express desired ethical behaviors and goals, a corporate culture evolves on its own to reflect the values and norms of the company” (Ferrell, 2015). “Leadership has a significant impact on ethical decision making because leaders have the power to motivate others and enforce the organization’s norms, policies, and viewpoints” (Ferrell, 2015). Often employees will look to management and top leadership for clues as to what is acceptable and what is not. It is not only important to have good role models in those top positions, but to have a culture where they can fully express their ethical