The Ironic Double Whammy of Being an Ethical Leader: Follower Response to Leader Infidelity

This study examines how leaders' ethical behavior outside of work affects followers' attitudes toward them. Building on leader integrity and apology research, we conducted a scenario-based study that experimentally manipulated leader reputation (ethical/unethical), type of sex scandal (inv...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inManagement (Paris, France : 1998) Vol. 21; no. 3; pp. 1032 - 1049
Main Authors Sekhar Chanda, Sasanka, Hasel, Markus C, Ray, Sougata, Grover, Steven L
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Nantes AIMS 01.01.2018
Association Internationale de Management Stratégique
Subjects
Apologies
Behavior
Ethics
Gossip
Leadership
Morality
Perceptions
Reputations
Scandals
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Summary:This study examines how leaders' ethical behavior outside of work affects followers' attitudes toward them. Building on leader integrity and apology research, we conducted a scenario-based study that experimentally manipulated leader reputation (ethical/unethical), type of sex scandal (involving abuse of power or not) and the leader's response (denial, apology or atonement). The results support and extend recent work on apologies, suggesting that ethical leaders suffer more than unethical leaders from extra-role sex scandals, and that meaningful apologies are effective for personal responsibility but not for violations involving an official abuse of power.
Bibliography:Varia
ISSN:1286-4692
1286-4692
DOI:10.3917/mana.213.1032a