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The “Right” and the “Good” in Ethical Leadership: Implications for Supervisors’ Performance and Promotability Evaluations

Author

Listed:
  • Chaim Letwin

    (Suffolk University)

  • David Wo

    (Syracuse University)

  • Robert Folger

    (University of Central Florida)

  • Darryl Rice

    (Miami University)

  • Regina Taylor

    (Creighton University)

  • Brendan Richard

    (University of Central Florida)

  • Shannon Taylor

    (University of Central Florida)

Abstract

Substantial research demonstrates that ethical leaders improve a broad range of outcomes for their employees, but considerably less attention has been devoted to the performance and success of the leaders themselves. The present study explores the extent to which being ethical relates to leaders’ performance and promotability. We address this question by examining ethical leadership from the two ethical perspectives most common in Western traditions—i.e., the “right” and the “good”—and whether one might be more closely associated than the other with performance and promotability evaluations. Results from 117 employee-supervisor-manager triads show that supervisors with a deontological outlook are more likely to be seen as ethical leaders (given current conceptualizations of the construct) and that utilitarian leaders are more likely to earn higher performance evaluations (above these current conceptions). We discuss the implications of these findings for research on ethical leadership.

Suggested Citation

  • Chaim Letwin & David Wo & Robert Folger & Darryl Rice & Regina Taylor & Brendan Richard & Shannon Taylor, 2016. "The “Right” and the “Good” in Ethical Leadership: Implications for Supervisors’ Performance and Promotability Evaluations," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 137(4), pages 743-755, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:137:y:2016:i:4:d:10.1007_s10551-015-2747-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-015-2747-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Rubin, Robert S. & Dierdorff, Erich C. & Brown, Michael E., 2010. "Do Ethical Leaders Get Ahead? Exploring Ethical Leadership and Promotability," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(2), pages 215-236, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ed Love & Tara Ceranic Salinas & Jeff D. Rotman, 2020. "The Ethical Standards of Judgment Questionnaire: Development and Validation of Independent Measures of Formalism and Consequentialism," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 161(1), pages 115-132, January.
    2. Peter E. Mudrack & E. Sharon Mason, 2019. "Utilitarian Traits and the Janus-Headed Model: Origins, Meaning, and Interpretation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 156(1), pages 227-240, April.
    3. Jinqiang Zhu & Shiyong Xu & Kan Ouyang & David Herst & Elaine Farndale, 2018. "Ethical leadership and employee pro-social rule-breaking behavior in China," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 17(1), pages 59-81, February.

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