On Ethically Solvent Leaders: The Roles of Pride and Moral Identity in Predicting Leader Ethical Behavior

Stacey Sanders (), Barbara Wisse, Nico W. Yperen and Diana Rus
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Stacey Sanders: University of Groningen
Barbara Wisse: University of Groningen
Nico W. Yperen: University of Groningen
Diana Rus: Creative Peas

Journal of Business Ethics, 2018, vol. 150, issue 3, No 3, 645 pages

Abstract: Abstract The popular media has repeatedly pointed to pride as one of the key factors motivating leaders to behave unethically. However, given the devastating consequences that leader unethical behavior may have, a more scientific account of the role of pride is warranted. The present study differentiates between authentic and hubristic pride and assesses its impact on leader ethical behavior, while taking into consideration the extent to which leaders find it important to their self-concept to be a moral person. In two experiments we found that with higher levels of moral identity, authentically proud leaders are more likely to engage in ethical behavior than hubristically proud leaders, and that this effect is mediated by leaders’ motivation to act selflessly. A field survey among organizational leaders corroborated that moral identity may bring the positive effect of authentic pride and the negative effect of hubristic pride on leader ethical behavior to the forefront.

Keywords: Authentic pride; Hubristic pride; Moral identity; Leader ethical behavior (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10551-016-3180-0

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