Which conduct domain ethical theory is related to transactional leadership theories?

1

Leadership Ethics

Chapter 13

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

2

2

Overview

Leadership Ethics Perspective

Practical Ethical Theory

Ethical Theories

Principles of Ethical Leadership

Diverse Ethical Perspectives

How Does the Leadership Ethical Perspective Work?

3

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

3

Leadership Ethics Description

Definition and Theory

Ethics

Is a derivative of the Greek word ethos, meaning customs, conduct, or character

Is concerned with the kinds of values and morals an individual or society ascribes as desirable or appropriate

Focuses on the virtuousness of individuals and their motives

Example: Journalists’ respect for others, professional duty, concern for harm, proactive social engagement (Plaisance, 2017)

4

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

4

Development of ethocal theory goes back to Plato and Aristotle.

Practical Ethical Theory

Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development

Level 1. Pre-conventional morality

Stage 1--Obedience and Punishment: Rules are fixed and handed down by authority

Stage 2--Individualism and Exchange: An action is right if it serves the individual

Level 2. Conventional morality

Stage 3--Interpersonal Accord and Conformity: Conforming to the expectations of others

5

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development

Stage 4--Maintaining the Social Order: Moral decisions show concern for society as a whole

Level 3. Post-conventional Morality

Stage 5--Social Contract and Individual Rights: Moral decisions based on what a good society should be like

Stage 6--Universal Principles: Moral decisions based on internalized universal principles of justice that apply to everyone

6

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

Ethics Defined

7

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

Add table

Table 13.1: Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development

7

Leadership Ethics Description

Definition and Theory

Ethical Theory

Provides a system of rules or principles as a guide in making decisions about what is right/wrong and good/bad in a specific situation

Provides a basis for understanding what it means to be a morally decent human being

8

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

8

Development of ethocal theory goes back to Plato and Aristotle.

Ethical Theories

Two Broad Domains: Theories about leaders’ conduct and about leaders’ character

9

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

9

Table 13.2: Domains of Ethical Theories

Ethical Theories

10

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

10

Page 304 in text. Figure number incorrect?

Figure 13.1: Ethical Theories Based on Self-Interest Versus Interest for Others

Ethical Theories

Conduct

Ethical egoism (create greatest good for the leader)

Closely related to transactional leadership theories

Example: leader takes a political stand on an issue for no other reason than to get re-elected

Utilitarianism (create greatest good for greatest number)

Example: Leader distributes scarce resources so as to maximize benefit to everyone, while hurting the fewest; preventive health care vs. catastrophic illnesses

Altruism (show concern for best interests of others)

Authentic transformational leadership is based on altruistic principles

Example: The work of Mother Teresa, who gave her entire life to help the poor

11

Teleological Theories: focus on consequences of actions and results

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

11

Teleological--consequences of actions and results

Ethical Theories

Conduct

Deontological Theories

Duty driven, for example, relates not only to consequences but also to whether action itself is good

Focus on the actions of the leader and his/her moral obligation and responsibilities to do the right thing

Example: telling the truth, keeping promises, being fair

12

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

12

Teleological – consequenses of

Ethical Theories

Character

Virtue-based Theories: About leader’s character

Focus on who people are as people

Rather than tell people what to do, tell people what to be

Help people become more virtuous through training and development

Virtues are present within person’s disposition; practice makes good values habitual

Examples: Courage, honesty, fairness, justice, integrity, humility

13

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

13

Centrality of Ethics to Leadership

Influence dimension of leadership requires the leader to have an impact on the lives of followers

Power and control differences create enormous ethical responsibility for leaders

Respect for persons--sensitive to followers’ own interests and needs

Leaders help to establish and reinforce organizational values--an ethical climate

14

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

14

Ethics plays a central role in the leadership process.

Diverse Perspectives of Leadership

Heifetz’s Perspective

Emphasizes how leaders help followers to confront conflicting values and to effect change from conflict

Ethical perspective that speaks directly to

Values of workers

Values of organizations and the communities in which they work

15

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

15

Several prominent scholars--Heifetz, Burns, and Greenleaf--they’ve made unique contributions to our understanding of ethical leadership.

The theme that is common to all three--is an ethic of caring--which pays attention to followers’ needs and the importance of leader–follower relationships.

Diverse Perspectives of Leadership

Heifetz’s Perspective

Leaders use authority to mobilize followers to

Get people focused on issues

Act as a reality test regarding information

Manage and frame issues

Orchestrate conflicting perspectives

Facilitate the decision-making process

16

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

16

Diverse Perspectives of Leadership

Heifetz’s Perspective

Leaders use authority to mobilize followers to

Get people focused on issues

Act as a reality test regarding information

Manage and frame issues

Orchestrate conflicting perspectives

Facilitate the decision-making process

Leader provides a holding environment, a supportive context in which there is

Trust, nurturance, & empathy

Leader’s duties

Assist the follower in struggling with change and personal growth

17

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

17

Several prominent scholars--Heifetz, Burns, and Greenleaf--they’ve made unique contributions to our understanding of ethical leadership.

The theme that is common to all three--is an ethic of caring--which pays attention to followers needs and the importance of leader-follower relationships.

Diverse Perspectives of Leadership

Burns’s Perspective

Theory of Transformational Leadership

Strong emphasis on followers’ needs, values, and morals

Leaders help followers in their personal struggles concerning conflicting values

Stressing values such as liberty, justice, and equality

Connection between leader and follower

Raises level of morality of both

Leader’s Role

Assist followers in assessing their values & needs

Help followers to rise to a higher level of functioning

18

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

18

Several prominent scholars--Heifetz, Burns, and Greenleaf--they’ve made unique contributions to our understanding of ethical leadership.

The theme that is common to all three--is an ethic of caring--which pays attention to followers needs and the importance of leader–follower relationships.

The Dark Side of Leadership

Pseudotransformational leadership

Characterized by destructive behaviors, such as violating basic human rights (Lipman-Blumen, 2005)

Characterized by personal characteristics, such as lack of integrity, insatiable ambition, arrogance (Lipman-Blumen)

Eight factors of perceived toxicity in leaders: managerial incompetency, dark traits, derisive supervision, impervious despotic leadership, dearth of ethics, erratic behavior, narcissism, and self-promoting (Singh et al., 2017)

Associated with workplace outcomes such as negative attitudes in followers toward jobs and organization as a whole (Schyns and Schilling, 2013)

19

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

Add date to citation in third bullet point

19

The Dark Side of Leadership

20

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

Figure 13.2: The Toxic Triangle

20

The Toxic Triangle

Destructive Leaders

Charismatic, narcissistic, self-absorbed

Susceptible Followers

Conformers and colluders

Conducive Environments

Unstable environments may grant leader more authority

21

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

Ethical Leaders Respect Others

Ethics--is central to leadership because of

The process of influence

The need to engage followers to accomplish mutual goals

The impact leaders have on establishing the organization’s values

22

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

22

Figure 13.3: Principles of Ethical Leadership

Discussion of five principles of ethical leadership--These principles provide a foundation for the development of sound ethical leadership

Incorrect figure number?

In addition I am emphasizing three points that reinforce the impact a leader has on followers, and the responsibility leaders have to be sensitive to how their leadership affects followers lives and why Ethics is central to leadership, because of--

Principles of Ethical Leadership

Leader behaviors:

Listens closely to subordinates

Is empathic

Is tolerant of opposing viewpoints

Leader shall:

Treat other people’s values and decisions with respect

Allow others to be themselves with creative wants and desires

Approach others with a sense of unconditional worth and value individual differences

23

Respects

Others

Treating others as ends (their own goals) rather than as means (to leaders’ personal goals)

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

23

Principles of Ethical Leadership

Leader behaviors

Mentoring behaviors

Empowerment behaviors

Team-building behaviors

Citizenship behaviors

Leaders have

A duty to help others pursue their own legitimate interests and goals

To be stewards of the organization’s vision; in serving others they: clarify, nurture, and integrate the vision with, not for, organization members

An ethical responsibility to make decisions that are beneficial to their followers’ welfare

24

Follower centered--Based on the altruistic principle of placing followers foremost in the leader’s plans

Serves

Others

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

24

Principles of Ethical Leadership

Leaders shall:

Adhere to principles of distributive justice

Leader behaviors

All subordinates are treated in an equal manner

In special treatment/special consideration situations, grounds for differential treatment are clear, reasonable, and based on sound moral values

25

Ethical leaders are concerned with issues of fairness and justice; they place issues of fairness at the center of their decision making

Shows

Justice

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

Principles of Ethical Leadership

26

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

Table 13.3: Principles of Distributive Justice

26

Principles of Ethical Leadership

Leaders:

Are not deceptive

Tell the truth with a balance of openness and candor while monitoring what is appropriate to disclose in a particular situation

Leader behaviors

Don’t promise what you can’t deliver

Don’t suppress obligations

Don’t evade accountability

Don’t accept “survival of the fittest” pressures

Acknowledge and reward honest behavior in the organization

27

Honest leaders are authentic but also sensitive to the feelings and attitudes of others

Manifests

Honesty

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

Principles of Ethical Leadership

Concern for common good means leaders cannot impose their will on others; they search for goals that are compatible with everyone.

28

Ethical leaders & followers

take into account purposes of everyone in the group, and

reach out beyond their own mutually defined goals to wider community

Leader behaviors

Takes into account purposes of everyone in the group

Is attentive to interests of the community and culture

Does not force others or ignore intentions of others

Builds

Community

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

How Does the Ethical Leadership Perspective Work?

Strengths

Criticisms

Application

29

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

Strengths

Provides a body of timely research on ethical issues

Provides direction on how to think about ethical leadership and how to practice it

Suggests that leadership is not an amoral phenomenon and that ethics should be considered as integral to the broader domain of leadership

Highlights principles and virtues that are important in ethical leadership development

30

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

Criticisms

Lacks a strong body of traditional research findings to substantiate the theoretical foundations. Conceptual confusion regarding the concept; hard to measure (Exception is Yukl et al., 2013)

Relies heavily on writings of just a few individuals that are primarily descriptive and anecdotal in nature and are strongly influenced by personal opinion and a particular worldview.

Most research based on Western world and Anglo-American countries

Generational differences in ethical perspectives

31

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.

Application

Can be applied to individuals at all levels of organization and in all walks of life.

Because leadership has a moral dimension, being a leader demands awareness on our part of the way our ethics define our leadership.

Managers and leaders can use information on ethics to understand themselves and strengthen their own leadership.

Leaders can use ethical principles as benchmarks for their own behavior.

Leaders can learn that leader-follower relationship is central to ethical leadership.

32

Northouse, Leadership 8e. © SAGE Publications, 2019.