Ethical Leadership: Read The Article By Yukl Mahsud Hassan P

Ethical Leadershipread The Article By Yukl Mahsud Hassan Prussia

Read The Article By Yukl, Mahsud, Hassan, & Prussia (2013), as well as Chapter 7 of Gonzalez-Padron (2015). Complete the Checklist: Ethical Leadership Questionnaire, then answer these following questions from the text: Which behaviors are the most important for you to trust the ethical leadership of a supervisor, manager, or company executive? Are there any descriptors in the list that are difficult to observe? How can a company measure the ethical leadership within the organization? How does personal experience with a leader (e.g., work assignments, disciplinary actions) skew your assessment of his or her ethical leadership? Cite an example based on personal experience.

Read Chapter 8 in Gonzalez-Padron (2015). Complete the Checklist: Ethical Health Assessment—How Ethical Is Your Organization? Then answer these following questions from the text: What additional questions may uncover the ethical culture of an organization? Which, if any, of these questions are seeking confirmation of the ethical climate (perceptions) rather than the ethical culture (values, norms, and artifacts)? How could management measure the ethical health of an organization other than survey questions?

Paper For Above instruction

The perception and evaluation of ethical leadership within organizations are critical for fostering an ethical climate that promotes integrity, accountability, and trust. Research by Yukl, Mahsud, Hassan, and Prussia (2013) underscores the importance of specific behaviors that exemplify ethical leadership, such as honesty, fairness, respect, and caring. In my perspective, honesty and fairness are paramount because they establish a foundation of trust necessary for effective leadership. When leaders demonstrate honesty by being transparent about their intentions and actions, followers are more likely to trust their guidance. Fairness, reflected in equitable treatment of employees, further reinforces ethical standards by promoting justice and reducing bias or favoritism.

While many descriptors from the Ethical Leadership Questionnaire effectively capture these behaviors, some can be difficult to observe consistently. For example, integrity and moral courage are internal qualities that may not always be visible in day-to-day interactions but are essential components of ethical leadership. These internal traits require ongoing assessment through indirect indicators, such as consistency in decisions and actions over time, or feedback from colleagues and subordinates. Measuring such internal qualities remains a challenge, but organizations can utilize multi-source feedback or 360-degree assessments to gather comprehensive evaluations of leaders' ethical behavior.

Organizations can also measure ethical leadership through structured interviews, performance appraisals incorporating ethics indicators, and observing decision-making processes during critical situations. Additionally, assessing organizational policies and past incident responses can offer insight into leadership's commitment to ethical standards. For example, the presence of clear codes of ethics and their enforcement reflects a leadership’s prioritization of ethical conduct.

Personal experiences with leaders greatly influence perceptions of ethical behavior. For instance, a supervisor who consistently upholds confidentiality and openly admits mistakes might be perceived as more ethical than one who appears to manipulate information for personal gain but occasionally displays charismatic qualities. Conversely, disciplinary actions taken against employees for minor infractions might be perceived as harsh or inconsistent, skewing perceptions of a leader’s fairness. Such experiences shape personal assessments, highlighting that perceptions of ethical leadership are often subjective and influenced by specific incidents.

Regarding ethical culture, Gonzalez-Padron (2015) emphasizes the importance of understanding the underlying values, norms, and artifacts that shape organizational behavior. Additional questions to uncover an organization's ethical culture might include: "How does leadership handle ethical dilemmas?" or "What mechanisms are in place for employees to report unethical behavior?" These questions can reveal whether ethical considerations are embedded in everyday practices or are perceived as mere compliance requirements.

While some questions focus on perceptions of ethical climate—how employees feel about the organization's ethics—others aim to uncover the actual ethical culture. For example, asking about the existence and enforcement of formal policies gauges normative values, while exploring how often employees witness ethical or unethical behaviors provides insight into actual artifacts and norms.

Measuring the ethical health of an organization extends beyond surveys; methods such as ethnographic observations, analysis of internal communications, and audits of decision-making processes can provide richer, more nuanced insights. For instance, monitoring whistleblower reports, analyzing disciplinary records, or observing how ethical issues are handled in real-time can reveal the organization's true ethical climate and culture.

In conclusion, assessing ethical leadership and organizational ethics requires a comprehensive approach including behavioral observations, multi-source feedback, and analyses of organizational processes and artifacts. Cultivating a strong ethical climate depends on transparent leadership, consistent policies, and genuine organizational values embedded in everyday practices and norms.

References

• Gonzalez-Padron, T. (2015). Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making & Cases. SAGE Publications.
• Yukl, G., Mahsud, R., Hassan, S., & Prussia, G. E. (2013). Ethical Leadership: An Alternative Conceptualization. Journal of Business Ethics, 112(2), 317-331.
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