Values-based Learning: A Multi-Level Approach to Ethical Leadership Development

The paper aims to provide empirical evidence towards the ongoing research and debate on the nature of motivation and values that might impact ethical leadership. This paper presents the outcomes of a study that examines the relationship between personal values, consistency of actions and ethical lea...

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Main Authors: Dayaram, Kantha, Issa, Theodora
Format: Journal Article
Published: Common Ground Publishing 2014
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/16457
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author Dayaram, Kantha
Issa, Theodora
author_facet Dayaram, Kantha
Issa, Theodora
author_sort Dayaram, Kantha
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The paper aims to provide empirical evidence towards the ongoing research and debate on the nature of motivation and values that might impact ethical leadership. This paper presents the outcomes of a study that examines the relationship between personal values, consistency of actions and ethical leadership development, using cross-sectional, longitudinal data from a leadership course. Data were collected from 32 postgraduate students at the beginning and end of the semester, testing for pre- and post-leadership intervention effects. In the pre-test, values such as integrity, honesty, trust, self-confidence and transparency were evident. Interventions, including personal reflection, formative learning and action research, had their impact on the way participants thought of ethical leadership, values and personal motivations. The results indicate that particular values that evolved post-test included trust, respect, integrity, self-awareness and responsibility, with empathy, honesty, respect, vision and responsibility remaining consistent throughout the study. These results are in contrast to some prior research in this area, including personal values, leader’s actions and organizational values congruence. Our findings argue that multi-perspective, scaffolded learning is associated with significant levels of leadership reflection and self-awareness. Leaders with higher levels of reflection and self-awareness have significantly higher levels of motivation towards ethical behaviours that are generated from values.
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format Journal Article
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institution Curtin University Malaysia
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publishDate 2014
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-164572022-08-10T05:37:10Z Values-based Learning: A Multi-Level Approach to Ethical Leadership Development Dayaram, Kantha Issa, Theodora reflection personal values ethical leadership self-awareness The paper aims to provide empirical evidence towards the ongoing research and debate on the nature of motivation and values that might impact ethical leadership. This paper presents the outcomes of a study that examines the relationship between personal values, consistency of actions and ethical leadership development, using cross-sectional, longitudinal data from a leadership course. Data were collected from 32 postgraduate students at the beginning and end of the semester, testing for pre- and post-leadership intervention effects. In the pre-test, values such as integrity, honesty, trust, self-confidence and transparency were evident. Interventions, including personal reflection, formative learning and action research, had their impact on the way participants thought of ethical leadership, values and personal motivations. The results indicate that particular values that evolved post-test included trust, respect, integrity, self-awareness and responsibility, with empathy, honesty, respect, vision and responsibility remaining consistent throughout the study. These results are in contrast to some prior research in this area, including personal values, leader’s actions and organizational values congruence. Our findings argue that multi-perspective, scaffolded learning is associated with significant levels of leadership reflection and self-awareness. Leaders with higher levels of reflection and self-awareness have significantly higher levels of motivation towards ethical behaviours that are generated from values. 2014 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/16457 Common Ground Publishing fulltext
spellingShingle reflection
personal values
ethical leadership
self-awareness
Dayaram, Kantha
Issa, Theodora
Values-based Learning: A Multi-Level Approach to Ethical Leadership Development
title Values-based Learning: A Multi-Level Approach to Ethical Leadership Development
title_full Values-based Learning: A Multi-Level Approach to Ethical Leadership Development
title_fullStr Values-based Learning: A Multi-Level Approach to Ethical Leadership Development
title_full_unstemmed Values-based Learning: A Multi-Level Approach to Ethical Leadership Development
title_short Values-based Learning: A Multi-Level Approach to Ethical Leadership Development
title_sort values-based learning: a multi-level approach to ethical leadership development
topic reflection
personal values
ethical leadership
self-awareness
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/16457