Exploring caring leadership through a feminist ethic of care: The case of a sporty CEO

Janet Johansson,Michaela Edwards

doi:10.1177/1742715020987092

Abstract

This work critiques the normative construction of ethical leadership and contributes to understanding the ethics of care in leadership from a lifestyle and embodied perspective. Drawing on feminist notions of ethics of care, we question the ethicality of the practices of a sporty and health-oriented leader who claims to transform his attempts at self-care into care for others through role-modelling lifestyle behaviours. We explore inherent moral dilemmas in connecting a seemingly creative self-care project with well-intentioned practices of caring for others. We highlight the need to question persistent masculine rationalisations in ethical leadership, and to engage in and encourage, organisational and relational interactions that take account of specific employee needs. We argue that the leaders’ claiming to care for others by insisting on particular lifestyle behaviours and role-modelling aesthetic bodily ideals introduce new managerial norms in the organisation. The Instrumental intentions come to hamper an ethical care for the well-being of employees, whilst demonstrating the power of the leader to influence employees both inside and outside the organisation.

Highlights

The notion of self-concept has been essential in the normative construction of ethical leadership (Bass and Avolio, 1993)
Drawing from a Swedish CEO’s attempts to care for his employees through the promotion of ‘healthy’ lifestyles within his organisation, we aim to contribute to critical leadership literature concerning the normative construction of ethical leadership within a broader range of critical scholarship interrogating the promotion of corporate wellness in Western contexts
We focus on the narrative and actions of one CEO (Adam), observing how he attempts to care by modelling lifestyle behaviours

Summary

Introduction

The notion of self-concept has been essential in the normative construction of ethical leadership (Bass and Avolio, 1993). A pervasive health and well-being discourse has grown in much of Western society, promoting ‘healthy’ lifestyles and associating this with ethical business practices. Along with other critical scholars, recognise that it is ethically problematic that leadership practices that are meant to ‘care’ by taking account of employees’ satisfaction and well-being, are at risk of being eroded by managerial notions and reduced to the imposition of appropriated behaviours Drawing from a Swedish CEO’s attempts to care for his employees through the promotion of ‘healthy’ lifestyles within his organisation, we aim to contribute to critical leadership literature concerning the normative construction of ethical leadership within a broader range of critical scholarship interrogating the promotion of corporate wellness in Western contexts

Literature review and the theoretical frame

Discussion and conclusions