This brief explores the concept of moral leadership in organizations. Specifically, it examines ways in which companies can strengthen their reputation in the market and increase performance by taking leading positions in the realm of business ethics. It presents research from top scholars of Eastern Europe contemplating the future of our global information and knowledge society. How will the economic power nexuses of the world shift in the foreseeable future? Are we becoming so interconnected and at the same time divided that social capital (together with business integrity and customer feedback) may matter more than money and resources? How will education and creativity bridge the shrinking gap between producers and consumers? Such questions and many more are tackled by this brief. In the current global economy, we have never before been more tightly-knit and never before has it been easier to distribute goods as well as ideologies. However, in the global marketplace we are only as good as our word, or our reputation, proves to be. Integrity studies by Transparency International show a correlation between corruption and national threat and lists corruption among the most harmful factors to impact local and regional economies. Therefore, successful businesses cannot afford to simply remain materially successful; they have to consider their community impact and become moral leaders before they can be world leaders in their respective field. Featuring innovative tools, recommendations, case studies and checklists, this brief will be of interest to students, academics, scholars, practitioners and policymakers alike in the fields of leadership, corporate governance, business ethics and corporate social responsibility.

Ethical leadership does not simply emerge from a code of conduct, a good school, or a host of good intentions. It is an individual choice, or rather a series of choices that emerges from the complex interaction of personal values with social imperatives. This book explores how and why some people become ethical leaders in morally challenging and complex social environments. In Ethical Leadership, Aidan McQuade provides insight into the concept of human agency – the individual’s choice of a course of action in response to the options posed by that individual’s engagement with the social world. He puts forth a new model of human agency – the "cruciform of agency" – which recognises that the potential range of individual action emerges from the nature of the resonance that social options strike with personal thoughts. Every action adds to the individual’s personal biography in ways that influence subsequent choices by confirming or changing personal values and hopes, hence influencing the way the individual subsequently thinks about the world. In explaining the potential and limits of human agency for ethical leadership, the book establishes a basis for executives, policy makers and academics to conceptualise and develop more robust and realistic approaches for the mitigation of some of the most pressing moral issues facing humanity today. These include the inter-related challenges of modern slavery and global warming, which pose such critical threats to the Earth itself. In this book McQuade not only sets an agenda for action but empowers individual leaders to find the moral courage to better advance human rights and preserve the environment even when such action requires unpopular choices.

As managers and consumers, many people are concerned about such issues as sweatshops, global warming and discrimination in the workplace, and are struggling to integrate their beliefs into their jobs, companies and purchases. The Ethical Imperative links these personal values to business performance.

This book brings together a wide range of topics in leadership ethics and business ethics. It approaches these topics from the perspective of the humanities as well as the social sciences. About half of the book is on leadership and the other half on topics in business ethics. Besides these general areas of research, the book explores how to teach and study ethics in both business ethics and leadership studies. Specifically, it examines issues ranging from the nature of ethical leadership, to studies of authenticity, virtue, and the public and private morality of leaders. In business ethics, the subjects covered span from moral imagination, to casuistry, meaningful work, and workplace ethics. The book includes a section on the importance of liberal arts for studying and teaching ethics in business and professional schools. It concludes with a reflection on the ethical challenges of leaders and followers in a world where some leaders have inverted moral values.

This illuminating and practical collection of essays addresses the increasingly important topics of corporate ethics, social responsibility, and sustainability in the context of effective global business strategies. Instead of condemning business, or exhorting corporate leaders to "do good," the authors deal with the "hot button" issues of our time in a cool and rational manner, seeing them as opportunities rather than as problems. As the authors illustrate, there is no necessary trade-off between business leaders doing the right thing, on one hand, and the profitable thing, on the other. They demonstrate that ethics is not peripheral, or in addition to, the central concerns of business. To the contrary, ethics and good citizenship are at the heart of all good business strategies, decisions, and organizational cultures. These essays offer useful examples of how executives can create strategies and cultures that are, both and at the same time, ethical and effective--the essence of GOOD BUSINESS. A PUBLICATION OF THE INSTITUTE FOR ENTERPRISE ETHICS Daniels College of Business, University of Denver

What is the place of ethics in organizational culture? What constitutes good leadership? How do different cultures define ethical leadership? Ethical Leadership is the first book to rigorously explore the value of ethics in a business climate overwhelmingly driven by the need to generate profits and cut costs. Drawing on both authors' extensive experience in teaching and research, this book provides a clear, systemic model from which practical strategies can be derived for sound and effective leadership. The authors argue convincingly for the need for ethical leadership within organizations; demonstrating its importance for creating a moral climate which is essential for organizational effectiveness. The book begins with reviews of leadership theory and research as well as an overview of ethical theories. It goes on to examine morality in terms of leadership, suggesting the principles upon which leaders should make their judgements. In order to align business needs and best ethical practice, and in the face of ever louder demands for good governance and corporate social responsibility, leaders need to be role models whose motivation should be altruistic and work to the benefit of others and the organization. In building their theory on what constitutes ethical leadership based on an integration of classical philosophy with contemporary psychological theory, the authors have looked not only at individual and team performances, but have investigated what constitutes ethical and moral values in Western and non-Western cultures. This is followed by discussion of models that can help to overcome cultural differences with a view to creating an effective leadership approach in our varied global market economy. Ethical Leadership is essential reading for upper level undergraduate, postgraduate and MBA students of business, management and psychology as well as practitioners in those fields. It will help future and established professionals understand the nature and potential benefits of ethical leadership in organizational settings.

Increase your competitive advantage by taking a proactive approach to ethics-this book provides a road map for corporate leaders that show you how. Ethical Leadership will inspire your organization to elevate the level of its relationships with stakeholders and key constituents. It provides a powerful wake-up call that can result in higher revenues and more enduring relationships with customers, employees, and stakeholders. Ethical Leadership is full of steps and strategies to help organizations take a hard look at the way they do business, decide what changes are required, and transform principles into action.

This work provides a mindset for leadership to deal with the problem of unethical transgressions in South African communities and buisness. It provides a thorough and comprehensive diagnosis of leadership and morality, from an analysis of causes, to the compilation of remedies.