New approaches to leadership - Ethical and Implicit leadership

Definition:

Is 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.

Several criteria are relevant for judging individual leaders:

• person’s values, stage of moral development, conscious intentions, freedom of choice, use of (un)ethical behavior, type of influence used...

Judgments about the ethics of a particular decision take into account:

• the purpose (end),

• the extent to which behavior is consistent with moral standards (means),

• and the consequences for self and others (outcomes)

Unethical behavior is more likely in organizations with

• high pressure for increased productivity,

• intense competition for rewards and advancements,

• strong emphasis on obedience to authority,

• strong position power for leaders, and

• a lack of strong cultural values and norms about ethical conduct and

  individual responsibility

Main idea:

• Comparison of a follower‘s implicit expectations of his/ her leader and theleader‘s actual behavior

• Extent to which a leader should adapt his or her own behavior to the expectations of the employees

Extension of implicit leadership by intercultural facet:

Leaders and employees have different cultural backgrounds and different cultures have different ideas about leadership that are based on:

• Values

• Norm

• Organizational practices

• Strategic framework conditions in the company

=> Employee expectations were described using six leadership characteristics

Idea:

• Positive, optimistic and convincing charisma of a leader

• In particular the ability to inspire the led employees

=> Charismatic leadership

Idea:

• Degree to which a leader is able to integrate the members of a team and to strengthen the team consciousness of the employees he/she leads

Idea:

• Extent to which a leader primarily pursues his or her own interests (instead of those of employees)

Idea:

• Degree to which a leader involves the employees in the decision-making process

=> Participative leadership ≈ coopeartive leadership in the Ohio State Leadership Approach

Idea:

• Expressed through trustworthiness, honesty and loyalty of a leader towards the employees he/she leads

Idea:

• Extent to which a leader makes independent decisions

Cultural independency:

• Charismatic and team-oriented leadership are relatively culture-independent factors that increase leadership success

High leader flexibility needed:

• Leaders should adapt their behavior to the expectations of the employees they lead

Authenticity lost:

• In the case of extrem leader adaption, the authenticity of the leader can be lost