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Ethical and Unethical Leadership: A Cross-Cultural and Cross-Sectoral Analysis

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  • Silke Eisenbeiß
  • Felix Brodbeck

Abstract

Current literature on ethical leadership and unethical leadership reflects a Western-based private sector perspective, pointing toward a compliance-oriented understanding of ethical and unethical leadership. As today’s executives increasingly have to ethically lead across different cultures and sectors, it becomes vitally important to develop a more holistic picture how ethical and unethical leadership is perceived in the Western and Eastern cultural cluster and the private and the public/social sector. Addressing this issue, the present study aims to identify cross-cultural and cross-sectoral commonalities and differences in international executives’ perceptions of ethical and unethical leadership. Findings from in-depth interviews (N = 36) with executives from Western and Eastern cultures working in the private or the public/social sector reveal collectively held perceptions of ethical leadership (including leader honesty, integrity, concern for responsibility/sustainability, and people orientation) and of unethical leadership (referring to leader dishonesty, corruption, egocentrism, and manipulation). Results indicate limited support for a compliance-oriented perspective on ethical and unethical leadership but yield a much greater trend toward a value-oriented perspective. Concrete practice examples illustrate these different perspectives. Cultural and sectoral particularities of executive perceptions of ethical and unethical leadership are discussed. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Silke Eisenbeiß & Felix Brodbeck, 2014. "Ethical and Unethical Leadership: A Cross-Cultural and Cross-Sectoral Analysis," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 122(2), pages 343-359, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:122:y:2014:i:2:p:343-359
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-013-1740-0
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