1. To develop an understanding of your ethical leadership style

2. To understand how your preferred ethical leadership style relates to other ethical leadership styles

Directions

1. Please read the following 10 hypothetical situations in which a leader is confronted with an ethical dilemma.

2. Place yourself in the role of the leader or manager in the situation.

3. For each situation, indicate with an “X” your most preferred response. Your most preferred response is the response that best describes why you would do what you would do in that particular situation.

Choose only one response. There are no right or wrong answers.

Response alternatives explained:

I would do what is right: this option means you follow a set of moral rules and do what is expected of you when facing an ethical dilemma. You focus on fulfilling your moral obligations and doing your duty. I would do what benefits the most people: this option means you try to do what is best for the most people overall when facing an ethical dilemma. You focus on what will result in happiness for the largest number of individuals.

• I would do what a good person would do: this option means that you pull from who you are (your character) when facing an ethical dilemma. You act out of integrity and you are faithful to your own principles. I would do what shows that I care about my close relationships: this option means that you give attention to your relationships when facing an ethical dilemma. You may give special consideration to those with whom you share a personal bond or commitment. I would do what benefits me the most: this option means that you do what is best for accomplishing your personal goals and objectives when facing an ethical dilemma. You are not afraid to assert your own interests when resolving problems. I would do what is fair: this option means that you focus on treating others fairly when facing an ethical dilemma. You try to make sure the benefits and burdens of decisions are shared equitably between everyone concerned.

Situations

1. You are the leader of a manufacturing team and learn that your employees are falsifying product quality results to sell more products. If you report the matter, most of them will lose their jobs, you may lose yours, and your company will take a significant hit to its reputation. What would you do in this situation?

a. I would do what is right.

b. I would do what benefits the most people.

c. I would do what a good person would do.

d. I would do what shows that I care about my relationships.

e. I would do what benefits me the most.

f. I would do what is fair.

2. You have an employee who has been having performance problems, which is making it hard for your group to meet its work quota. This person was recommended to you as a solid performer. You now believe the person’s former manager had problems with the employee and just wanted to get rid of the person. If you give the underperforming employee a good recommendation, leaving out the performance problems, you will have an opportunity to pass the employee off to another group.

What would you do in this situation?

a. I would do what is right.

b. I would do what benefits the most people.

c. I would do what a good person would do.

d. I would do what shows that I care about my relationships.

e. I would do what benefits me the most.

f. I would do what is fair.

3. Your team is hard-pressed to complete a critical project. You hear about a job opening that would be much better for one of your key employees’ career. If this individual leaves the team, it would put the project in danger. What would you do in this situation?

a. I would do what is right.

b. I would do what benefits the most people.

c. I would do what a good person would do.

d. I would do what shows that I care about my relationships.

e. I would do what benefits me the most.

f. I would do what is fair.

4. An employee of yours has a child with a serious illness and is having trouble fulfilling obligations at work. You learn from your administrative assistant that this employee claimed 40 hours on a timesheet for a week when the employee actually only worked 30 hours. What would you do in this situation?

a. I would do what is right.

b. I would do what benefits the most people.

c. I would do what a good person would do.

d. I would do what shows that I care about my relationships.

e. I would do what benefits me the most.

f. I would do what is fair.

5. You are a manager, and some of your employees can finish their quotas in much less than the allotted time to do so. If upper management becomes aware of this, they will want you to increase the quotas. Some of your employees are unable to meet their current quotas. What would you do in this situation?

a. I would do what is right.

b. I would do what benefits the most people.

c. I would do what a good person would do.

d. I would do what shows that I care about my relationships.

e. I would do what benefits me the most.

f. I would do what is fair.

6. You are an organization’s chief financial officer, and you are aware that the chief executive officer and other members of the senior leadership team want to provide exaggerated financial information to keep the company’s stock price high. The entire senior management team holds significant stock positions. What would you do in this situation?

a. I would do what is right.

b. I would do what benefits the most people.

c. I would do what a good person would do.

d. I would do what shows that I care about my relationships.

e. I would do what benefits me the most.

f. I would do what is fair.

7. Two new employees have joined your accounting team right out of school. They are regularly found surfing the Internet or texting on their phones. Your accounting work regularly requires overtime at the end of the month to get the financial reports completed. These employees refuse to do any overtime, which shifts work to other team members. The other team members are getting resentful and upset. What would you do in this situation?

a. I would do what is right.

b. I would do what benefits the most people.

c. I would do what a good person would do.

d. I would do what shows that I care about my relationships.

e. I would do what benefits me the most.

f. I would do what is fair.

8. You are the director of a neighborhood food cooperative. A member—a single parent with four children—is caught shoplifting $30 in groceries from the co-op. You suspect this person has been stealing for years. You consider pressing charges. What would you do in this situation?

a. I would do what is right.

b. I would do what benefits the most people.

c. I would do what a good person would do.

d. I would do what shows that I care about my relationships.

e. I would do what benefits me the most.

f. I would do what is fair.

9. You have been accused of discriminating against a particular gender in your hiring practices. A new position opens up, and you could hire a candidate of the gender you’ve been accused of discriminating against over a candidate of another gender, even though the latter candidate has slightly better qualifications. Hiring the former candidate would let you address this accusation and improve your reputation in the company. What would you do in this situation?

a. I would do what is right.

b. I would do what benefits the most people.

c. I would do what a good person would do.

d. I would do what shows that I care about my relationships.

e. I would do what benefits me the most.

f. I would do what is fair.

10. You are a professor. One of your best students buys an essay online and turns it in for a grade. Later in the term, the student begins to feel guilty and confesses to you that the paper was purchased. It is the norm at the university to fail a student guilty of plagiarism. You must decide if you will flunk the student. What would you do in this situation?

a. I would do what is right.

b. I would do what benefits the most people.

c. I would do what a good person would do.

d. I would do what shows that I care about my relationships.

e. I would do what benefits me the most.

f. I would do what is fair.