Workers are much more likely to challenge unethical behaviour at work if their manager is seen as an ethical leader, according to research from Durham University Business School, Sheffield University and Northampton University.
The researchers surveyed 1,737 UK police officers and staff and 448 working professionals, asking them to rate the match of their personal ethical values to those of the organisational code of ethics, its integrity identity and the levels of ethical leadership within its teams.
They also surveyed respondents on the likelihood of them raising concerns over the unethical practices of their co-workers.
The study found that ethical leadership had a very significant impact on the likelihood of workers calling out and challenging unethical behaviours and practices in their organisation from co-workers. Organisations can also encourage leaders to be ethical through a number of ways, including:
- creating a formal set of ethical principles to help leaders communicate appropriate values to workers
- instilling these values into everyday working practices, and
- through actively valuing integrity.
Managers play a critical role in encouraging followers to speak up about unethical issues that could potentially result in severe outcomes for reputational damage. Thus, organisations should invest in training to increase managers’ awareness and knowledge of their ethical values.
Derby University Business School researchers, professors Olga Epitropaki and Les Graham, said, “Leaders play an incredibly important role in their company when it comes to ethical practices. They can instil the organisation’s values into their workers and align their practices and behaviours with these so that the level of underhand, unethical practices is minimised. More importantly though, our research shows that if a leader not only instils ethics into their workers, but practises as they preach, it is more likely to make workers call out unethical practices if they see them.”