Difficult Interpersonal Situations in Leadership as Arenas of Ethical Leadership and Learning

Abstract

Leadership in the Finnish social and health care field has changed significantly since the beginning of the 21st century. Its principles have become closer to those of business organizations, which demand cost-effectiveness. Superiors are expected to achieve more with dwindling personnel resources. This may have led to unethical leadership, which has negative effects on workplace wellbeing and coping at work. The purpose of this study was to chart the experiences of master’s degree students in leadership (N=54) regarding difficult leadership situations and what they learned from them. All the students had a bachelor’s degree and at least three years of work experience. The data were collected as narratives written as part of a course on personnel leadership, which were then analyzed using deductive content analysis. Ethical leadership in difficult personnel situations was seen as good communication skills and treating all subordinates as equals. Through their own example, ethical leaders created a work environment where all felt understood and respected. The respondents also learned how to recognize features of unethical leadership through their experiences. Further research should focus on superiors’ experiences of leadership, which factors lead to unethical actions and how unethical leadership can be avoided. Keywords: communication, ethical leadership, interaction, learning through work, unethical leadership