Authenticity and Corporate Governance

Practical wisdom: A virtue for leaders. Bringing together Aquinas and Authentic Leadership

“…This concept is based first of all on the actor’s understanding of his or her true self, and once this awareness is established, acting accordingly, staying true to oneself in behavior and in thought (Harter, 2002; Luthans & Avolio, 2003). Authenticity implies acting congruently with one’s deep and ethical values (Steckler & Clark, 2019). In these definitions, elements of originality, genuineness, reliability and trustworthiness clearly emerge (Özkan & Ceylan, 2012), and for this reason Authentic Leadership “results in both greater self‐awareness and self‐regulated positive behaviors on the part of the leaders and associates, fostering positive self‐development” (Luthans & Avolio, 2003, p. 243).…”

Special Issue: Global Perspectives on Business Ethics from the 40th Anniversary Conference of the Hoffman Center for Business Ethics at Bentley University, 2016

“…As Brenkert writes: "… we should also take some time to see not only the importance and successes of business ethics, but also the challenges and limits of global business ethics" (2018). In doing so, the authors utilize a range of levels of analysis, from the systems level (Brenkert 2018;Waddock 2018), the institutional level expressed as international business (Bowie 2018) and finance (Sison et al), the organizational level (PainterMorland et al 2018;Steckler and Clark 2018), and the individual level of moral competency (Sanz and Fontrodona 2018).…”

“…Boards of directors may be the ethical guardians of shareholders' and potentially even stakeholders' investments in the firm, but Steckler and Clark (2018) observe that "scholarship has largely overlooked the value and implications of individual virtue in governance practice". Much research on ethics and governance, they claim, has focused on the structure and process of governance as well as on the knowledge and experience of directors.…”

Can you be yourself in business? How reminders of business affect the perceived value of authenticity

“…Views expressed in the media or cultural outlets may shape the public's general attitudes (Bateman, Sakano, & Fujita, ), and indeed some studies document public skepticism toward business in many cultures (Carroll, ; Yakovlev & Avraamova, ). The recent financial crisis has further increased skepticism about the role of business in society (Steckler & Clark, ). Consequently, people may view business and authenticity as incompatible due to the somewhat alienating reputation of business.…”

“…Regardless, this view of business reflects a transformation of the business world at the dawn of the new millennium, which is characterized by the rise of IT start‐ups and a new culture of seeking self‐fulfillment through entrepreneurship (Cederström & Spicer, ). Moreover, a large body of literature attests to the beneficial role of authenticity in business, thus demonstrating that the two can be compatible (Freeman & Auster, ; Sendjaya, Pekerti, Härtel, Hirst, & Butarbutar, ; Steckler & Clark, ). Business, then, may be perceived by people as an empowering and liberating environment that encourages rather than blocks authenticity.…”