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Finding a Moral Compass: Grounded Theory Research on Ethical Leadership Training for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

Handbook of Engaged Sustainability

Abstract

Leaders today are tasked to be future-focused; work in ambiguity, change, and crisis; are willing to coordinate, share efforts, and be environmentally conscious; and are expected to promote ethical behavior and standards (Iftakhar and Bahauddin, Why leadership is essential for achieving sustainable development goals. Retrieved February 18, 2020, from https://intpolicydigest.org/2018/01/10/why-leadership-is-essential-for-achieving-sustainable-development-goals/, 2018). Despite ethical leadership concepts being well studied, there is little research on ethical leadership training regarding sustainability. Furthermore, the relationship between ethical leadership and sustainability, and the role of leaders creating a moral climate has been underrepresented in the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) leadership training field (Omer, Sustainable development and the ethical issue of human morality; an overview. Retrieved from https://medinanet.org/2014/12/sustainable-development-and-the-ethical-issue-of-human-morality-an-overview/, 2014). The purpose of this chapter is to explore literature from various current articles regarding the topic of ethical leadership development and sustainability, reveal the gaps, and show how transformational leadership, a theory of leadership in the field of global leadership, can be used as a framework for ethical decision-making. A qualitative comparison analysis was used to identify research gaps in ethical leadership training for ESD. It also revealed that making ethical decisions showed the most significant factor in creating a moral compass. The findings led to the development of an ethical decision-making conceptual framework using transformational leadership dimensions and the three main ethical approaches to normative ethics. This framework can be used for ethical leadership development training, and for educators and scholars to use as a guide in developing their framework when determining how to cultivate and lead with a reliable moral compass.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Global Leadership Program, Indiana Institute of Technology, Fort Wayne, IN, USA

    Amanda L. Holst

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  1. Amanda L. Holst
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  1. School of Business, Woodbury University School of Business, Burbank, CA, USA

    Joan Marques

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Holst, A.L. (2021). Finding a Moral Compass: Grounded Theory Research on Ethical Leadership Training for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). In: Marques, J. (eds) Handbook of Engaged Sustainability. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53121-2_57-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53121-2_57-1

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  1. Latest

    Finding a Moral Compass: Grounded Theory Research on Ethical Leadership Training for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
    Published:
    10 October 2022

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53121-2_57-2

  2. Original

    Finding a Moral Compass: Grounded Theory Research on Ethical Leadership Training for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
    Published:
    03 August 2021

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53121-2_57-1

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