Identity Talk of Aspirational Ethical Leaders

Abstract

This study investigates how

(Un)Ethical Leadership and Identity: What Did We Learn and Where Do We Go from Here?

“…Choices on ethical decisions, moreover, seem to be driven by an understanding of the context filtered through a leader's mental model (Thiel et al 2012). Finally, the shift from unethical to ethical leader can result from a key relationship or event occurring in their lives (Koning and Waistell 2012). The clearly emergent theme is that we have moved beyond simply suggesting ethical leadership is a positive phenomenon for organizations.…”

“…From definitional issues raised by Unal et al (2012) to the role of religion in ethical leadership (Koning and Waistell 2012) it is clear that ethical and unethical leadership are complex phenomena. The point is underscored by Den Hartog and Belschak (2012) and Avey et al (2012) who took a seemingly similar approach to understanding ethical leadership by developing and testing process (i.e., meditational) models within applied settings.…”

“…Den Hartog and Belschack (2012), for example, demonstrated that ethical leadership can result in greater employee initiative as well as reduced counterproductive work behaviors. In a distinctly different fashion Koning and Waistell (2012) demonstrated just how strongly a focus on religion and morality can impact decisionmaking in business settings. Underlying all of the articles is the argument that leaders who operate unethically can significantly and substantively harm their organizations.…”

“…In the case-study analysis of the Chinese businessman conducted by Koning and Waistell (2012) the authors suggested that an emergent focus on religion was responsible for a change in how the leader operated his business. That is, religion served as a newfound moral compass.…”

Leadership, Identity, and Ethics

“…Organizations, they suggest, should proactively develop leaders' sensemaking skills so that they can better understand and enact ethical decisions. Koning and Waistell (2012) analyze the narration of identities and ethics through metaphor by business leaders who re-author themselves as moral beings after a religious conversion. Koning and Waistell's study does so in an unusual and interesting empirical setting, focusing on ethnic Chinese business leaders in Indonesia who converted to Pentecostal-charismatic Christianity.…”