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Leadership, Trustworthiness, and Ethical Stewardship

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Abstract

Leaders in today’s world face the challenge of earning the trust and commitment of organizational members if they expect to guide their companies to success in a highly competitive global context. In this article, we present empirical results indicating that when leadership behaviors are perceived as trustworthy through the observer’s mediating lens, trust increases and leaders are more likely to be viewed as ethical stewards who honor a higher level of duties. This article contributes to the growing body of literature about the importance of ethical stewardship in the trust relationship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Terry College of Business, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, U.S.A.

    Cam Caldwell

  2. University of Houston – Victoria, Sugar Land, TX, U.S.A.

    Linda A. Hayes

  3. Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Do Tien Long

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  1. Cam Caldwell
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  2. Linda A. Hayes
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  3. Do Tien Long
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Correspondence to Cam Caldwell.

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Caldwell, C., Hayes, L.A. & Long, D.T. Leadership, Trustworthiness, and Ethical Stewardship. J Bus Ethics 96, 497–512 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0489-y

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