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Ethics in Leadership: Carving Out the Ethical Core in Current Leadership Theories

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Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Change

Part of the book series: Ethical Economy ((SEEP,volume 57))

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Abstract

In this chapter, we carve out the ethical core in transformational, authentic, and ethical leadership theory. Basing our analysis on a meta-framework describing leader character, we distinguish ethical elements contained within each of these theories along the dimensions of locus (a leader’s inner characteristics), transmission (behaviors), and reception (follower perceptions). Our theoretical model enables a more comprehensive view of ethics in leadership beyond isolated leadership traditions, and stimulates valuable insights into how each leadership theory contributes aspects of leader ethics. With respect to managerial implications, we offer systematic guidance for developing ethical leaders.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Even though there is no one-size-fits-all definition of leadership, we describe it as “a process of social influence, which maximizes the efforts of others towards the achievement of a goal” (Kruse, 2013, p. 1). Furthermore, we focus on leadership in organizations irrespective of sector, position, or hierarchy level.

  2. 2.

    Whereas Burns (1978) assumes moral behavior as constituent of transformational leadership, Bass (1985) acknowledges that the collective purpose to which transformational leaders refer can also be immoral. As Bass and Avolio (2003) argue, transformational leadership does not per se differentiate between normatively desirable and undesirable outcomes, and thus in principal may also be based on immoral conceptions of a vision and mission that allow for unethical behaviors. Examples are political leaders who transformed their countries, but not necessarily for the better (Trevino & Brown, 2007). This gave rise to a differentiation into authentic compared with self-centered transformational leadership (pseudo-transformational leadership). Bass and Steidlmeier (1999) clarified that true transformational leadership is grounded in “a moral foundation of legitimate values” (p. 184).

  3. 3.

    Shamir and Eilam (2005) characterize authentic leaders as individuals who are true to themselves and do not overly conform to expectations of others, are motivated by their convictions rather than by prestige or other forms of external acknowledgements, are distinctive individuals who have their own points of view and whose behavior is based on their individual values and credo. In contrast, Avolio et al. (2005) specifically encompass a positive moral perspective in their definition of authentic leadership.

  4. 4.

    As Day (2001) outlines, leader development focuses on developing the intra-personal skills of the leader in the areas of self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-motivation, while leadership development comprises interpersonal aspects summarized as social awareness (including, i.e., empathy) and social skills (i.e., team-orientation).

  5. 5.

    Leaders are able to shape situations and to challenge the social constructions they are presented with (Skubinn & Herzog, 2016).

  6. 6.

    The responsible leadership approach is more holistic in the sense that it focuses on four elements of leadership: the leader as a responsible person (person), the roles a responsible leader fulfills (roles), the ethics of the leader–follower relationship (relationship), and the ethics of what a leader does (responsibilities).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Big Dutchman, Vechta, Germany

    Rebekka Skubinn

  2. Kiel University, Kiel, Germany

    Claudia Buengeler

  3. University of Vechta, Vechta, Germany

    Christoph Schank

Authors
  1. Rebekka Skubinn
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  2. Claudia Buengeler
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  3. Christoph Schank
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Correspondence to Claudia Buengeler .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Arnaud Sales

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Skubinn, R., Buengeler, C., Schank, C. (2019). Ethics in Leadership: Carving Out the Ethical Core in Current Leadership Theories. In: Sales, A. (eds) Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Change. Ethical Economy, vol 57. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15407-3_5

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