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Conceptualization and Measurement of Virtuous Leadership: Doing Well by Doing Good

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  • Gordon Wang

    (George Brown College)

  • Rick D. Hackett

    (McMaster University)

Abstract

Despite a long history in eastern and western culture of defining leadership in terms of virtues and character, their significance for guiding leader behavior has largely been confined to the ethics literature. As such, agreement concerning the defining elements of virtuous leadership and their measurement is lacking. Drawing on both Confucian and Aristotelian concepts, we define virtuous leadership and distinguish it conceptually from several related perspectives, including virtues-based leadership in the Positive organizational behavior literature, and from ethical and value-laden (spiritual, servant, charismatic, transformational, and authentic) leadership. Then, two empirical studies are presented that develop and validate the Virtuous Leadership Questionnaire (VLQ), an 18-item behaviorally based assessment of the construct. Among other findings, we show that the VLQ accounts for variance in several outcome variables, even after self-assessed leader virtue and subordinate-rated social and personalized leader charisma are controlled.

Suggested Citation

  • Gordon Wang & Rick D. Hackett, 2016. "Conceptualization and Measurement of Virtuous Leadership: Doing Well by Doing Good," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 137(2), pages 321-345, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:137:y:2016:i:2:d:10.1007_s10551-015-2560-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-015-2560-1
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    Cited by:

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    3. John J. Sosik & Jae Uk Chun & Ziya Ete & Fil J. Arenas & Joel A. Scherer, 2019. "Self-control Puts Character into Action: Examining How Leader Character Strengths and Ethical Leadership Relate to Leader Outcomes," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 160(3), pages 765-781, December.
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    5. Christopher Chan & Subramaniam Ananthram, 2020. "A neo-institutional perspective on ethical decision-making," Post-Print hal-03107344, HAL.
    6. Ruiz‐Palomino, Pablo & Martínez‐Cañas, Ricardo & Bañón‐Gomis, Alexis, 2021. "Is unethical leadership a negative for Employees' personal growth and intention to stay? The buffering role of responsibility climate," MPRA Paper 119579, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Nir Halevy & Sora Jun & Eileen Y. Chou, 2020. "Intergroup Conflict is Our Business: CEOs’ Ethical Intergroup Leadership Fuels Stakeholder Support for Corporate Intergroup Responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 162(1), pages 229-246, February.
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    9. Sai Bhargavi Vedula & Rakesh Kumar Agrawal, 2024. "Mapping Spiritual Leadership: A Bibliometric Analysis and Synthesis of Past Milestones and Future Research Agenda," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 189(2), pages 301-328, January.
    10. Johan Graafland, 2023. "On Rule of Law, Civic Virtues, Trust, and Happiness," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(4), pages 1799-1824, August.
    11. Adeyinka Adewale, 2020. "A Model of Virtuous Leadership in Africa: Case Study of a Nigerian Firm," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 161(4), pages 749-762, February.
    12. Joseph H. Astrachan & Claudia Binz Astrachan & Giovanna Campopiano & Massimo Baù, 2020. "Values, Spirituality and Religion: Family Business and the Roots of Sustainable Ethical Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 163(4), pages 637-645, May.
    13. Lucas Monzani & Gerard H Seijts & Mary M Crossan, 2021. "Character matters: The network structure of leader character and its relation to follower positive outcomes," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(9), pages 1-25, September.
    14. Subramaniam Ananthram & Christopher Chan, 2016. "Religiosity, spirituality and ethical decision-making: Perspectives from executives in Indian multinational enterprises," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 843-880, September.
    15. Amy L. Fraher, 2022. "Disobeying Orders’ as Responsible Leadership: Revisiting Churchill, Percival and the Fall of Singapore," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 175(2), pages 247-263, January.
    16. Karianne Kalshoven & Scott Taylor, 2018. "Leadership: Philosophical Perspectives and Qualitative Analysis of Ethics—Looking Back, Looking Forward, Looking Around," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 148(1), pages 1-3, March.
    17. Christopher Chan & Subramaniam Ananthram, 2019. "Religion-Based Decision Making in Indian Multinationals: A Multi-faith Study of Ethical Virtues and Mindsets," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 156(3), pages 651-677, May.
    18. Afif G. Nassif & Rick D. Hackett & Gordon Wang, 2021. "Ethical, Virtuous, and Charismatic Leadership: An Examination of Differential Relationships with Follower and Leader Outcomes," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 172(3), pages 581-603, September.
    19. David Dawson, 2018. "Measuring Individuals’ Virtues in Business," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 147(4), pages 793-805, February.

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