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Ethical Irony and the Relational Leader: Grappling with the Infinity of Ethics and the Finitude of Practice

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  • Rhodes, Carl
  • Badham, Richard

Abstract

Relational leadership invokes an ethics involving a leader’s affective engagement and genuine concern with the interests of others. This ethics faces practical difficulties given it implies a seemingly limitless responsibility to a set of incommensurable ethical demands. This article contributes to addressing the impasse this creates in three ways. First, it clarifies the nature of the tensions involved by theorising relational leadership as caught in an irreconcilable bind between an infinitely demanding ethics and the finite possibilities of a response to those demands. Second, it examines this ethical challenge in acknowledgement of the hierarchical discourses and power dynamics in which leadership relationships are constrained and enacted. Third, it proposes “ethical irony” as a way leaders can respond to the demand for ethics without resulting in either an escape from ethics, or being crushed by its burden. Three dimensions of ethical irony are examined: ironic perspective, ironic performance, and ironic predilection.

Suggested Citation

  • Rhodes, Carl & Badham, Richard, 2018. "Ethical Irony and the Relational Leader: Grappling with the Infinity of Ethics and the Finitude of Practice," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 28(1), pages 71-98, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:buetqu:v:28:y:2018:i:01:p:71-98_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Mar Pérezts & Jo-Anna Russon & Mollie Painter, 2020. "This Time from Africa: Developing a Relational Approach to Values-Driven Leadership," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 161(4), pages 731-748, February.
    2. F. Robert Buchanan, 2020. "Hopefulness and hardship: ethical orientations of the Palestinian diaspora," International Journal of Ethics and Systems, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 36(4), pages 507-529, August.
    3. Alison Pullen & Sheena J. Vachhani, 2021. "Feminist Ethics and Women Leaders: From Difference to Intercorporeality," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 173(2), pages 233-243, October.
    4. Randall G. Colton, 2020. "Modeling Leadership in Tolkien’s Fiction: Craft and Wisdom, Gift and Task," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 163(3), pages 401-415, May.

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