Chapter 13 Ethical Leadership

Introduction

Intro. to chapter

• different from other chapters
• other chapters only focus on one theory, this chapter presents many viewpoints and theories
• very little research has been done on ethical leadership
• chapter serves as a guide for some ethical issues that arise in leadership situations

Ethics Defined

Defining Ethics

• ethical theory dates back to Plato and Aristotle
• ethics has its roots in Greek word ethos meaning "customs," "conduct," and "character"
• concerned with kinds of values and morals an individual or society finds desirable or appropriate
• provides a system of rule or principles that guide us in making decisions about what is wrong or right, good or bad
• concerned with what leaders do and who they are
• decisions leaders make are informed and directed by their ethics

Kohlberg's 6 Stages of Moral Development

• choices are influenced by moral development
• interviewed and presented children with moral dilemma and gave reasons why

Kohlberg's Theory

Heifetz's Perspective

Burns' Perspective

• 1978: argues important for leaders to engage themselves with followers and help them in their personal struggles
• rooted in works of Maslow, Rokeach, and Kohlberg
• responsibility of the leader to help followers assess their own values and needs in order to raise them to a higher level of functioning, to a level that stresses values like liberty, justice, and equality
• moral uplifting process

Pseudotransformational LEadership

Pseudotransformational Leadership

• destructive and toxic side of leadership
• uses leadership for personal ends
• Lipman-Blumen (2005)
• toxic leaders are characterized by destructive behaviors
• leave followers worse off, violate basic human rights, and play to their basest fears
• leaders lack integrity, have arrogance, insatiable ambition, reckless disregard for actions
• Schyns-Schilling (2013)
• relationship between destructive leadership and negative attitudes in followers towards the leader
• Padilla, Hogan, Kaiser (2007)
• developed the toxic triangle which focuses on influence of destructive leaders, susceptible followers, and conducive environments

Aristotle's 5 Principles

of Ethical Leadership

Aristotle's principles

Distributive Justice

• These principles are applied in different situations.
• To each person
• an equal share or opportunity
• according to individual need
• according to that person's rights
• according to individual effort
• according to societal contribution
• according to merit or performance

Roberto

• foreign student from Venezuela
• received high teaching evaluations
• well liked by faculty
• summer job would help pay for school
• available to work in the summer

analisa

• good researcher
• skills would be an asset
• has been complaining to her mentor that she is treated differently (because of her race)
• wrote in the school paper that she is "a speck of Brown in a campus of white"
• frustrated because faculty is unable to understand the perspective and experiences of minority students
• faculty doesn't want to interact with her
• they fear working with her will make them part of the controversy
• hasn't approached Dr. Dirks about the position, but interested

The teaching Assistants

Michelle

Carson

• exceptionally good student
• married
• doesn't need extra income
• available to work in the summer
• pursuing a P.H.d. and would benefit from the experience

• lives an hour away
• takes care of his grandparents
• juggling school, teaching, and home responsibilities
• could use the extra money
• has a 4.0 GPA

Case Study Questions

Questions

1. Of the four options available to Angi, which is the most ethical?

2. Which principles of distributive justice apply to each candidate?

3. Can Angi use this decision to help her department and faculty face a difficult situation? Should she?

4. According to Burns, it is Angi's responsibility to help her followers assess their own values and needs in order to raise them to a higher level that will stress values such as liberty, justice, and equality. Do you agree? If so, what can she do to get her followers through this situation?