Ethical Leadership Is Mostly About Leadership Integrity
Topic 2: Ethical leadership is mostly about leadership integrity. Discuss.
Introduction
A recent study conducted in 2010 among UK and some European companies, revealed that the most prominent ethical issues to organisations includes harassment, bribery, corruption and facilitation payments, and whistle blowing (Wesley et al. 2011). Thus, it is important that ethics must indeed embark from the top. Leaders cannot escape from their responsibility to establish a moral example for their followers. The ethical actions and behaviour of top management have to be consistent with their teaching, otherwise formal ethical training and codes are bound to have a slim chance of success. The outcome of organisational goals is dependent on the leader’s capabilities to set the direction for employee behaviour, which includes promotion, strategies and appraisal (Brown & Mitchell 2010). This essay will examine how leadership integrity plays a part in building an ethical leadership, and also consider the other factors involved in building ethical leadership.
Ethical leadership is mostly about leadership integrity
Ethical leadership involve leaders to lead in a way that respects the dignity and rights of followers. It is especially important in the society today, when the public trust has been eroded by the actions of many, in both the profit and non-profit organisations. For instance, top executives of corporate organisations contributed to the recent credit crisis by reporting higher profits than actual, in order to enjoy greater compensation themselves (Berenbeim 2009). Ethical behaviour includes key principles such as integrity, honesty, and fairness. This is a situation where by leaders engage in behaviour that benefits others and refrains from behaviour that cause harm to others (Toor & Ofori 2009). Ethical leaders embody the purpose, vision and values of the management. They link up the organisational goals to that of the employees and stakeholders, giving a sense of
Introduction
A recent study conducted in 2010 among UK and some European companies, revealed that the most prominent ethical issues to organisations includes harassment, bribery, corruption and facilitation payments, and whistle blowing (Wesley et al. 2011). Thus, it is important that ethics must indeed embark from the top. Leaders cannot escape from their responsibility to establish a moral example for their followers. The ethical actions and behaviour of top management have to be consistent with their teaching, otherwise formal ethical training and codes are bound to have a slim chance of success. The outcome of organisational goals is dependent on the leader’s capabilities to set the direction for employee behaviour, which includes promotion, strategies and appraisal (Brown & Mitchell 2010). This essay will examine how leadership integrity plays a part in building an ethical leadership, and also consider the other factors involved in building ethical leadership.
Ethical leadership is mostly about leadership integrity
Ethical leadership involve leaders to lead in a way that respects the dignity and rights of followers. It is especially important in the society today, when the public trust has been eroded by the actions of many, in both the profit and non-profit organisations. For instance, top executives of corporate organisations contributed to the recent credit crisis by reporting higher profits than actual, in order to enjoy greater compensation themselves (Berenbeim 2009). Ethical behaviour includes key principles such as integrity, honesty, and fairness. This is a situation where by leaders engage in behaviour that benefits others and refrains from behaviour that cause harm to others (Toor & Ofori 2009). Ethical leaders embody the purpose, vision and values of the management. They link up the organisational goals to that of the employees and stakeholders, giving a sense of
References: Avolio, B. J. 2005. Leadership development in balance: Made/Born. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Bandura, A Bandura, A. 1986. Social foundations of thought and action. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice–Hall. Berenbeim R.E. 2009. Ethical Leadership, Maintain an Ethical Culture. A paper presented at the Global Leadership Development conference in Mumbai, India Blanchard, K Brown M.E. & Mitchell, M.S. 2010. Ethical and Unethical Leadership: Exploring New Avenue for Future Research, Business Ethics. Brown M. E, Trevino L. K, & Harrison D. 2005. Ethical leadership: A social learning perspective for construct development and testing. Organizational Behaviour and Human Decision Processes, Vol. 97, pp. 117−134. Deshpande, S.P. 2009. A study of ethical decision making by physicians and nursesin hospitals. Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 90, pp. 387-397 Eisenberg, E.M Freeman R.E. & Stewart L. 2006. Developing Ethical Leadership, A Bridge Paper of Business Roundtable Institute for Corporate Ethics. Freedman J, 2007 Workplace Issues Report, Six Seconds 2008. Gregory P, 2010, Ethical Leadership, Training journal, pp. 44-47 Hoffman, M Kalshoven K, Den Hartog D, De Hoogh A, 2011, ‘Ethical leadership at work questionnaire: Development and validation of a multidimensional measure, The Leadership Quarterly, vol. 22, pp. 51-69 Kaptein M Piccolo R.F, Greenbaum R, Den Hartog D.N. & Folger R. 2010.The Relationship between Ethical Leadership and Core Job Characteristics, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Vol.31, pp.259–278. Quigley, J H. 2007. Trust – An Essential Asset: Creating Individual and Corporate Value, The Raytheon Lectureship in Business Ethics, Waltham: Bentley College, pp. 1-24. Resick, C, Hanges, P, Dickson, M, Mitchelson, J, 2006, ‘A Cross – Cultural Examination of the Endorsement of Ethical Leadership’, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol.63, pp. 345-358 Toor S Turknett, Robert L., & Turknett, Carolyn N. 2005. Decent People Decent Company: How to Lead with Character at Work and in Life Wesley S, Basran S, Hayward A. & Harris D. 2011, Corporate Ethics Policies and Programmes: UK and Continental Europe Survey 2010. A Publication of the Institute of Business Ethics. http://www.ibe.org.uk, viewed 1st September 2012.