Development of a Scale Measuring Discursive Responsible Leadership

Journal of Business Ethics, Special Issue on Responsible Leadership, Vol. 98, No. 1, pp. 57-73, 2012

University of Zurich Chair of Foundations of Business Administration and Theories of the Firm Working Paper No. 206

43 Pages Posted: 15 Dec 2011

See all articles by Christian Voegtlin

Christian Voegtlin

ZHAW School of Management and Law; University of Zurich - Department of Business Administration; University of Zurich - Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Information Technology

Date Written: December 15, 2011

Abstract

The paper advances the conceptual understanding of responsible leadership and develops an empirical scale of discursive responsible leadership. The concept of responsible leadership presented here draws on deliberative practices and discursive conflict resolution, combining the macro-view of the business firm as a political actor with the micro-view of leadership. Ideal responsible leadership conduct thereby goes beyond the dyadic leader-follower interaction to include all stakeholders.

The paper offers a definition and operationalization of responsible leadership. The studies that have been conducted to develop the discursive responsible leadership scale validated the scale, discriminated it from other leadership scales, and demonstrated its utility in affecting unethical behavior and job satisfaction in organizations. Responsible leadership is shown to be first, dependent on the hierarchical level in an organization; second, capable of reducing unethical treatment of employees; and finally, a means of enhancing the job satisfaction of employees. The paper concludes with study limitations, future research directions and practical implications.

Keywords: Business Ethics, Construct Development, CSR, Leadership Ethics, Responsible Leadership

Suggested Citation

Voegtlin, Christian, Development of a Scale Measuring Discursive Responsible Leadership (December 15, 2011). Journal of Business Ethics, Special Issue on Responsible Leadership, Vol. 98, No. 1, pp. 57-73, 2012, University of Zurich Chair of Foundations of Business Administration and Theories of the Firm Working Paper No. 206, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1884185

Christian Voegtlin (Contact Author)

ZHAW School of Management and Law ( email )

St.-Georgen-Platz 2
Winterthur, 8401
Switzerland

University of Zurich - Department of Business Administration ( email )

Universitätsstr. 84
CH-8006 Zürich, 8006
Switzerland

University of Zurich - Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Information Technology ( email )

Plattenstrasse 14
Zürich, 8032
Switzerland

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