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The Dilemma of Ethical Leadership
Author(s) -
Avella Jay R.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of leadership studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.219
H-Index - 14
eISSN - 1935-262X
pISSN - 1935-2611
DOI - 10.1002/jls.21522
Subject(s) - utilitarianism , ethical dilemma , dilemma , action (physics) , duty , virtue ethics , obligation , ethical theory , law and economics , economic justice , normative ethics , consequentialism , virtue , meta ethics , law , political science , sociology , epistemology , information ethics , philosophy , physics , quantum mechanics
There’s a well‐known leadership aphorism that states, “Managers do things right, but leaders do the right thing.” But what constitutes the “right” thing will vary (and sometimes conflict) depending on the ethical theory that drives the decision or action. A leader might pursue a utilitarian view of ethics which would seek the greatest good for the greatest number, but what constitutes the greatest good for the greatest number may adversely affect the rights of others, articulated in the Theory of Rights. An extension of utilitarianism can be found in the Theory of Justice, which looks for the greatest good for all humans, but that theory would provide “extra” benefit to the least favored in society. Deontological theory takes the position that obligation and duty take precedence when analyzing an ethical dilemma. Contract theory extends this principle to agreements between individuals and organizations; what is ethical is what the contract says is ethical. A casuist approach simply looks to previous examples of what was considered ethical in prior situations and considers those ethics to carry over to the current situation. Finally, there is the issue of virtue, where judgment is based on character as opposed to action.