Ethical Leadership Required in Today’s Global Marketplace

Ethical leadership is required in today’s global business environment. Northouse (2019) discussed the growing interest in leadership ethics. This interest is due to the ever-increasing number of leader scandals in the private sector, public sector, and academia (Northouse, 2019, p. 335). Consequently, journal editorial essays support this position. I would like to acknowledge the growing number of journal articles devoted to the study of the effects of unethical leaders on followers (Kalshoven & Taylor, 2018, p. 2). Therefore, ethics should play a major part in your leadership training curriculum.

Interestingly, Biblical scholars will note that “when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn” (Proverbs 29:2, King James Version). A recent study supported this Biblical warning. For instance, it revealed leaders with “bottom-line” mentality (meaning they only cared about the business bottom-line) caused their employees with weaker moral identity to mimic their unethical behavior (Mesdaghinia, Rawat, & Nadavulakere, 2018, p. 9). Conversely, in similar situations, employees with higher moral identity exhibited higher turnover intention and decreased job satisfaction (Mesdaghinia, Rawat, & Nadavulakere, 2018, p. 11). Basically, the employees that held higher ethical standards became disgruntled and quit. In conclusion, to avoid high turnover, your leaders, supervisors, and managers, must act ethically.

Ethical leadership is a premier cornerstone of SHVA Leadership Adviser’s leadership development courses and coaching. If your organization has an ethics problem, contact us. We are ready to help!

If you are looking to improve your job or find a new one, SHVA’s Career Coaching can help!

If you are looking for confidential executive coaching, SHVA’s Executive Coaching can help!

Additionally, to learn more about leadership, career enhancement, or coaching, SHVA’s Articles page has what you need.

References

Kalshoven, K., & Taylor, S. (2018). Leadership: Philosophical Perspectives and Qualitative Analysis of Ethics—Looking Back, Looking Forward, Looking Around. Journal of Business Ethics, 1-3.

Mesdaghinia, S., Rawat, A., & Nadavulakere, S. (2018). Why Moral Followers Quit: Examining the Role of Leader Bottom-Line Mentality and Unethical Pro-Leader Behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 1-15.

Northouse, P. G. (2019). Leadership: Theory and Practice (8 ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Photo by:
Nathan Dumlao