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The Impact of Perceived Leader Integrity on Subordinates in a Work Team Environment

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Abstract

Over the last decade, the increased use of work teams within organizations has been one of the most influential and far-reaching trends to shape the business world. At the same time, corporations have continued to struggle with increased unethical employee behavior. Very little research has been conducted that specifically examines the developmental aspects of employee ethical decision-making in a team environment. This study examines the impact of a team leader’s perceived integrity on his or her subordinates’ behavior. The results, which came from a survey of 245 MBA students functioning for 2 years in a work team environment, indicate an interaction between leader integrity and team member ethical intentions.

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Abbreviations

PLIS:

Perceived leader integrity scale

MCSD:

MC form C social desirability scale

SDRB:

Social desirability response bias

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. McAfee School of Business Administration, Union University, 1050 Union University Dr, Jackson, TN, 38305, U.S.A.

    Darin W. White & Emily Lean

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  1. Darin W. White
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  2. Emily Lean
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Correspondence to Darin W. White.

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White, D.W., Lean, E. The Impact of Perceived Leader Integrity on Subordinates in a Work Team Environment. J Bus Ethics 81, 765–778 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-007-9546-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-007-9546-6

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