The micro-foundations of socially responsible leadership: an exploratory study among for-profit managers

Udayan Dhar and Melissa Intindola

Social Responsibility Journal, 2026, vol. 22, issue 7, 1589-1603

Abstract: PurposeThe purpose of this study is to understand how managers in for-profit organizations frame and develop their social responsibility in their leadership roles, particularly in relation to societal grand challenges (GCs).Design/methodology/approachTaking a life- and career-span developmental perspective, in-depth semi-structured interviews with 21 for-profit managers at various stages of their careers were used to generate narratives of responsible leadership (RL) development.FindingsBusiness leaders tend to frame their RL in strategist mindset terms. There is evidence of psychological distance from issues of social responsibility in general and the GCs in particular. This was related to a compartmentalized sense of self, which itself developed through organizational socialization.Originality/valueThis study extends our understanding of the micro-foundations of RL by clarifying a potential link between a compartmentalized or integrated sense of self and the leader’s psychological distance from the GCs.

Keywords: Responsible leadership; Leadership mindsets; Leadership development; Grand challenges (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:srjpps:srj-02-2025-0151

DOI: 10.1108/SRJ-02-2025-0151

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