The Gordian Knot of Ethics: Understanding Leadership Effectiveness and Ethical Behavior

Abstract

leadership, ethics, effectiveness, motivation, attitudes, integrity, performance, selection, development, assessment,

Identity Talk of Aspirational Ethical Leaders

“…Traditionally, ethical leadership literature has had a strong focus on traits, behaviour and leader-follower relations, and effectiveness, which has recently been reinforced by increased reports on corporate scandals, and unethical behaviour at the top (Brown and Trevino 2006;Brown and Mitchell 2010;Harshman and Harshman 2008;Knights and O'Leary 2006). The oft-used definition of ethical leadership by Brown et al (2005, p. 120) reflects this: 'the demonstration of normatively appropriate conduct through personal actions and interpersonal relationships, and the promotion of such conduct to followers through two-way communication, reinforcement, and decision-making'.…”

Notice of Retraction: Ethical leadership and employee trust: Governance perspective

“…According to Harshman and Harshman (2008) [8], there is no evidence that the problems pertaining to ethical conduct are widespread throughout or endemic to American organizations, even though the downfall of many companies was due to ethical conduct and governance failure of the leaders.…”

Leadership: Philosophical Perspectives and Qualitative Analysis of Ethics—Looking Back, Looking Forward, Looking Around

“…There is not always a clear differentiation between the secular metaphysical and the religiously spiritual, perhaps reflecting what Weber observed in the sociocultural dedifferentiation of religious belief systems during modernity, placing them alongside secular systems of thought such as humanism and Marxism (Bell and Taylor 2016). Alongside that, this journal has encouraged reflections on our educational practice, in work with under-and postgraduate students to explore leadership (Harshman and Harshman 2007), or the absence/presence of ethical education in business schools (especially when capitalism is experiencing one of its many moments of crisis; see Bassiry 1990, or Painter-Morland et al 2016. There is also a strong thread of gender, or sex, as a means of understanding (un)ethical leadership practices and their effects, or the ethics of elevation to and occupation of positions of leadership (Korabik 1990;Klettner et al 2016).…”