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= ETHICAL LEADERSHIP = Ethical leadership is the demonstration of normatively appropriate conduct through personal actions and interpersonal relationships, and the promotion of such conduct to followers through two-way communication, reinforcement and decision-making A precursor to the understanding of ethical leadership is a basic understanding of ethical behavior. Ethical behavior is knowing and doing what is right, however the difficulty lies in defining “right”. Different individuals, cultures and religions define “right” in different ways which, in turn, influences how people in these groups go about ethical decision making

Definitions
According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, Ethics is defined as the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation. Leadership is defined as the power or ability to lead other people. Ethical Leadership can be defined as a leadership style demonstrating and promoting normatively appropriate conduct through personal actions and interpersonal relations. Ethical Leadership is used by someone in charge who follows ethical and moral viewpoints, trying to do what is right in terms of those involved. Acting ethically and setting a standard for others to do the right thing.

Ethical leaders can be characterized by;

Modelling which happens when leaders provide cues to followers in expectation of their organizations standards of behavior being met.

Integrity which encompasses traits such as honesty, kindness, and trustworthiness

Fairness which includes care for others and following the standards of the organization

Theory:
Social Learning Theory: According to social learning theory, ethical leaders acts as role models for their followers. Behavior, such as following ethical practices and taking ethical decisions, are observed, and consequently followed. Rewards and punishments given out by the leader create a second social learning opportunity, that teaches which behavior is acceptable and which is not.

Social Exchange Theory: In social exchange theory the effect of ethical leadership on followers is explained by transactional exchanges between the leader and their followers. The leaders fairness and caring for followers activates a reciprocatory process, in which the followers act in the same manner towards the leader.

Operationalization:
A commonly used measure of ethical leadership is the Ethical Leadership Scale (ELS) developed by Brown et al. in 2005. It consists of 10 items with an internal consistency of alpha = .92 and shows a satisfying fit, with indices at or above recommended standards. Other scales include the Ethical Leadership at Work Questionnaire proposed by Kalshoven et al. with 38 items and proposed by Yuki et al in 2013.

Big 5 Personality Factors
The differences between people’s personalities can be broken down in terms of five major traits, which is also known as the Big Five. The Big Five personality traits correlate directly with Ethical Leadership. Again, Ethical Leadership being “what is the right thing to do?” An Ethical Leader must be open to new ideas. Being receptive to any new ideas a team can come up with. An Ethical Leader is there to assist the team to grow and needs to think analytically when problems arise. In order to make an ethical decision a leader needs to think about all of the possible scenarios and outcomes. An Ethical Leader needs to be conscientious, as they are in control, they must control the behaviors around including their own. A leader needs to stay calm during stressful situations. In order to make ethical decisions, a leader needs to have a clear mind and be conscientious of the situation at hand. Extraversion is a trait most necessary for leaders. An ethical leader must be assertive and decisive. An ethical leader must demonstrate agreeableness. They must be able to get along with any person and help prioritize the needs of the team. An ethical leader needs to demonstrate low levels of neuroticism. A leader needs to be stable to be able to make sound ethical decisions.

Why Ethical Leadership is Important
By using this type of leadership style, it helps create a positive ethical culture in a company/team setting. When using this leadership style, boosting  morale is easier and there is an easier ability to create excitement in the workplace. By following an ethical practice, a leader is able to create trust within the team, management, and even customers. An ethical leader is able to increase job satisfaction and commitment. This leadership style also promotes self-efficacy and engagement. As a leader, there is a responsibility to do the right thing and do what is right for those involved. Using this leadership style helps to gauge what is right and wrong with decision making based on the facts that are given during the situation. Using Ethical Leadership, it helps create a structure within a business or team. “Ethics should be the foundation for any discussion about leadership and it should serve as its centerpiece.” When using this leadership style, the leader becomes a role model. The leader is able to hold people accountable including themselves, which is important in a leadership role. Leaders influence the policy, culture, and behavior in an organization. A team will look up to their leader. When following the Ethical Leadership style, the team will follow in the leaders footsteps because they learn directly from the leader. By modeling more positive behaviors and routines, the leader is able to create a positive workplace and create team trust.

Comparison to Other Leadership Styles
Ethics have become an integral part of the current business operations around the globe. Subsequently, it is imperative for individuals that aspire to lead or manage business entities to recognize, develop and model desirable moral conduct in the workplace in order to achieve their organizational goals and attract potential investors. Ethical leadership refers to leadership that demonstrates and promotes appropriate conduct through interpersonal relations as well as personal actions. Ethical leadership is characterized by leading by example, communication and advocating for maintenance of ethical standards at the workplace. Moreover, ethical leadership helps organizations to prevent scandals, dilemmas and issues that could adversely affect the organization's brand reputation in the long run. Thus, there are various similarities and differences between ethical leadership and other management styles including transformational, transactional and authentic leadership styles. Although ethical leadership is not specifically named in the Full Range Leadership Model, it shares several characteristics with the transformational leadership style. Transformational leadership is when leader behaviors influence followers and inspire them to perform beyond their perceived capabilities. Similarly, ethical leadership has been defined as the demonstration of normatively appropriate conduct through personal actions and interpersonal relationships, and the promotion of such conduct through two-way communication, reinforcement and decision-making. Both transformational and ethical leaders align their own and their followers value systems toward important moral principles. Additionally, a behavior of transformational leadership is “idealized influence” which means that transformational leaders are role models for their followers to emulate.

Foremost, transformational leadership entails inspiring followers with a vision while at the same time empowering and encouraging them to accomplish the vision. There are similarities and distinctions between ethical and transformational leadership. In particular, while transformational leaders emphasize on empowering their followers to optimize their performance, ethical leaders focus on demonstrating ethical conduct and encouraging their followers to adopt or adhere to the established ethical standards. According to Jambawo (2018), transformational leaders motivate followers to accomplish a common goal rather than their personal interests. Conversely, ethical leaders influence people to embrace ethical principles and values. Thus, while transformational leaders require the principles of ethical leadership in order to make effective changes in people, some transformational leaders can also act in unethical manner.

Secondly, transactional leadership entails using exchanges such as rewards and punishments to get the job done. Transactional leaders usually set their clear goals and establish the rewards or punishments for compliance and lack of compliance. In particular, transactional leaders react to problems as they arise, work within an existing organization culture and structure, appeal to the self-interest of their followers and utilize rewards and punishments to maintain organizational standards. In contrast, ethical leaders foster a positive work environment and interpersonal relationships by influencing their followers to adopt appropriate or acceptable behavior, managing the conduct and collaboration of the team, aligning internal beliefs and values with external conduct and actions for the purpose of achieving a common goal.

Thirdly, authentic leadership is a leadership approach which fosters greater self-awareness, relational transparency between leaders and their followers, internalized moral perspective and balanced processing of information. Subsequently, authentic leaders usually understand their own strengths, values, weaknesses and their impact on others as well as exhibit conduct that aligns with their internal morals and values just like ethical leaders (Yasir &Mohamad, 2016). However, the main difference between ethical and authentic leadership is than ethical leadership is more theoretical whereas authentic leadership is more practical. While both leadership styles emphasize the aspect of leaders having an internalized sense of moral perspective and attributes such as respect and trust, authentic leaders may not be ethical depending on their moral values or perspectives. Nevertheless, ethical leaders epitomize their moral values and ethical standards of the organizations that they represent.

There are various similarities and distinctions between ethical leadership and other forms of management or leadership styles. Ethical leadership refers to leadership that demonstrates and promotes appropriate conduct through interpersonal relations as well as personal actions. Transformational leadership entails inspiring followers with a vision while at the same time empowering and encouraging them to accomplish the vision. Transactional leaders usually set their clear goals and establish the rewards or punishments for compliance and lack of compliance. Nevertheless, authentic leadership is a leadership approach which fosters greater self-awareness, relational transparency between leaders and their followers, internalized moral perspective and balanced processing of information.

Example
Martin Luther King Jr.- The late Martin Luther King Jr.'s use of ethical leadership tactics is seen not only through out his extensive involvement with the Civil Rights Movement, but is also demonstrated through out his infamous "I have a Dream" speech.

"But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force."

Here, Dr. King promotes ethical conduct through personal action, specifically in spite of the unethical actions that he and his followers had endured.