Defining Issues Test Research Articles

A Study on Moral Reasoning among Indian Police officers

Objectives: The aim of this research is to find out the moral reasoning levels of a sample of police officers in the North Zone in Tamil Nadu. Methods/Analysis: A descriptive research study has been used and the researcher used convenience sampling. The research instrument used is DIT2, the defining issues test 2. DIT2 instrument has been scored by the center for ethical development, University of Alabama. Findings: The respondents were found to be in the Maintaining Norms stage of moral reasoning. The police officers didn’t have high score of moral reasoning as indicated by the poor N2 scores. Police officers are not using higher moral reasoning in their profession. There is an urgent need for training the police officers in facing moral dilemmas with higher levels of moral reasoning. This would provide inner satisfaction to the officer and help mould the society into having higher standards of ethics. Novelty/Improvement: The research can be conducted by measuring the moral reasoning levels prior to a training program on ethics and post training program.

Exploring the impact of mindfulness meditation training in pre-licensure and post graduate nurses

The complex, high stress, technologically laden healthcare environment compromises providers' ability to be fully present in the moment; especially during patient interactions. This “pulling away” of attention (mindlessness) from the present moment creates an environment where decision making can take place in the absence of thoughtful, deliberate engagement in the task at hand. Mindfulness, can be cultivated through a variety of mindfulness practices. Few schools of nursing or hospitals offer mindfulness training, despite study findings supporting its effectiveness in improving levels of mindfulness, and perceived connections with patients and families. MethodsA mindfulness program developed for this study and tailored to nursing was used to provide the mindfulness training. Pre and post training assessments were completed and included administration of the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI) and the Defining Issues Test (DIT) of moral judgment version 2. ResultsA statistically significant improvement in the FMI scores p=0.003 was found. The pre-licensure group did not show a statistically significant improvement in their FMI scores pre to post training (p=0.281), however the post graduate group did (p=0.004). Statistically significant pre - post scores were found in two schemas of the DIT-2 (P [Post conventional] score, p=0.039 and N2 [Maintaining norms] score, p=0.032). ConclusionsMindfulness training improves mindfulness and some aspects of ethical decision making in the groups studied as part of this project. The findings of this study are promising and further demonstrate the merits of a mindfulness practice, however aspects of mindfulness training would need to be addressed prior to launching a full scale attempt to incorporate this into a work life or some other quality improvement program.

Improving Moral Behaviour in the Business Use of ICT

The 21st century has seen a much-increased focus on the importance of ethical behaviour in business, driven by major scandals, calls for stricter regulation and increased demands for improved governance and reporting. In parallel, there are calls for the incorporation of moral and ethical elements in business education and university accreditation bodies and schools are responding. In particular, the explosion of technology change, particularly Internet, social media and beyond have raised many challenges for individuals, organizations and legislators. However, educational responses are varied and little has been done to determine the effectiveness of what has been done. Most responses to this need to provide ethical education follow a cognitive, rule-based approach, often using case-based techniques. This can improve knowledge and understanding of ethical issues, but it may have limited influence on actual behaviour. A relatively new field – Positive Psychology -- provides an alternate perspective, focusing on what is good rather than what is poor behaviour. One Positive Psychology approach, that of Appreciative Inquiry, which has not previously been used in ICT ethics education, offers a promising technique to develop improved moral attitudes and behaviour. This paper reports on a large-scale pedagogical research project that: (1) examines ethical perspectives from philosophy, psychology and pedagogy in the context of ICT professional education; (2) describes the development and multistage implementation of an ethics course in an undergraduate business ICT program delivered to more than 1,200 students; (3) discusses the formal evaluation of changes in moral attitude following a Positive Psychology intervention in the education of some 300 Business ICT students using the Defining Issues Test, Version 2 (DIT2) and the IMIS Survey developed at the Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility. The project results demonstrate that a well-designed applied ICT ethics course produces measureable positive changes in the ethical stances of participants and that the use of Appreciative Inquiry increases the impact of these changes. In addition to the relevance of the findings for educators they can provide guidance to those in organisations responsible for the ethical behaviour of their ICT employees.

Evaluation of University Students Majoring in Physical Therapy using Defining Issues Tests

본 연구는 물리치료를 전공하는 대학생들 사이에서 도덕적인 판단을 조사하기 위함이다.BR 이 자료는 자기 보고식 질문지를 사용함으로 물리치료를 전공하는 681명의 대학생으로부터 수집 하였으며, 자료 수집 기간은 2015년 5월 1일 – 8월 15일까지였다. 한국의 도덕적 판단 검사는 도덕적 판단수준을 평가 하는 것으로 채택 되었고, 이것을 P(%)의 점수로 측정 하였다. 이 자료는 묘사적인 분석 그리고 T-검정, ANOVA를 사용하여 분석 하였다.BR 물리치료의 평균 P의 점수는 38.74였다. P의 점수는 출생 순서, 고등학교를 졸업 여부, 학문영역, 연구선택에 대한 동기 그리고 도덕적 교육의 경험에 따라 상당한 차이를 보였다.BR 본 연구를 통해서 대학교 교육과정에서 윤리교육에 대한 개인의 지속적인 향상 그리고 물리치료를 전공하는 대학생들의 도덕성은 지속 되어야 한다. 연구는 현재 물리치료 교육의 한 부분으로 분석이 수행되어야 하고 윤리 교육 강좌로 개발되어야 한다.

Cultural dimensions and moral reasoning: a comparative study

Purpose – Moral reasoning research in Western cultures is grounded primarily in Kohlbergian cognitive moral theory. Enumerable investigations about the psychological determinants and cultural dimensions of moral reasoning have provided significant insights about Western decision making and contributed to Western organizational behavioral theory. However, inquiry about these same constructs and how they may interact with moral reasoning in non-Western Southeast Asian trading partner countries has not provided comparable insights. The purpose of this paper is to remedy that by comparing predominant cultural dimensions to levels of moral reasoning in student and graduate populations in Thailand and the USA. Design/methodology/approach – The Defining Issues Test (DIT) measurement of moral reasoning (Rest et al., 1999) and the Values Survey Module (VSM) 2013 (Hofstede and Minkov, 2013) were translated for the first time into Thai, pilot tested, and used to gather cultural and moral reasoning data in Thailand. The same English version instruments were used to gather comparable data among similarly matched US samples. Comparisons are presented in this paper, and differences in approaches to moral decision making are discussed. Findings – Findings indicate that there are both significant psychological and cultural differences between the two nations that affect moral reasoning. Predominant status quo moral reasoning predominates in Thailand, while a polarity between self-interest moral reasoning and higher level abstract idealistic moral reasoning predominates in the USA. Potential cultural influences on these moral reasoning tendencies are discussed. Research limitations/implications – While findings can be generalized to the sample populations of Thai and US undergraduate students and graduate students who are in the workplace, the considerable time required to complete the two survey instruments precluded inclusion of higher level, veteran managers and public policy administrators in the study. Alternative survey methods need to be developed for investigating these subjects in order to make the combined findings more robust and widely generalizable. Practical implications – Careful attention to cultural and linguistic variables provided for thorough and effective first-time translations of the DIT and the VSM 2013 from English into the Thai language. These two instruments are now available to other researchers who wish to investigate cultural dimensions and moral reasoning through other research designs. The Thai-version DIT can be obtained from the copyright holder, Center for the Study of Ethical Development (http://ethicaldevelopment.ua.edu/). The Thai-version of the VSM can be obtained through the Geert Hofstede website (www.geerthofstede.nl/). Social implications – These findings can help researchers in Western and non-Western countries to better understand the foundations upon which moral reasoning in the two countries is grounded, and can provide insights about how individuals in quite different cultures perceive ethical dilemmas in the workplace and public arena and attempt to solve them. The findings also serve as another entry point for business managers and public policy administrators to not only better understand organizational behavior as regards ethical decision making, but general decision making as well. Originality/value – This is the first research study comparing cultural dimensions identified by Geert Hofstede and Michael Minkov as measured by the VSM 2013 to moral reasoning as measured by the DIT.

A Mixed-Methods Analysis in Assessing Students’ Professional Development by Applying an Assessment for Learning Approach

Objective. To describe an approach for assessing the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education's (ACPE) doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) Standard 4.4, which focuses on students' professional development. Methods. This investigation used mixed methods with triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data to assess professional development. Qualitative data came from an electronic developmental portfolio of professionalism and ethics, completed by PharmD students during their didactic studies. Quantitative confirmation came from the Defining Issues Test (DIT)-an assessment of pharmacists' professional development. Results. Qualitatively, students' development reflections described growth through this course series. Quantitatively, the 2015 PharmD class's DIT N2-scores illustrated positive development overall; the lower 50% had a large initial improvement compared to the upper 50%. Subsequently, the 2016 PharmD class confirmed these average initial improvements of students and also showed further substantial development among students thereafter. Conclusion. Applying an assessment for learning approach, triangulation of qualitative and quantitative assessments confirmed that PharmD students developed professionally during this course series.

Examining Ethical Reasoning and Transformational Leadership Style in Nigeria Public Sector

A significant number of studies reported linkages between ethical moral reasoning and transformational leadership (TFL) style, but questioned its moral foundation based on shared values and ethics. Thus, the issue of public leaders’ and subordinates’ degree of moral judgment and TFL behavior as perceived by followers is explored. The Defining Issues Test (DIT-2) and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ X5) were completed by leaders and subordinates severely (Avolio & Bass, 2004; Rest, Narvaez, Bebeau, & Thoma, 1999). Path analysis of the structural model indicates positive significant statistical relationship between cognitive moral development (CMD) and TFL style (β = 0.120, t = 1.286, p < .10). Nevertheless, we indicate that the capacity to experience, discover, and anticipate ethical threats encourages the use of post-conventional stage in decision making, and this result adds to our understanding of the relationship between ethical reasoning and leadership style.

Assessing development in critical thinking: One institution’s experience

ObjectiveEnhancing critical and moral thinking are goals of higher education. We sought to examine thinking development within a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) program. MethodsThe California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST), Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT), and the Defining Issues Test (DIT2) were administered to Pharm.D. students over four sessions throughout their didactic studies. Students took tests in their P1 Fall, P1 Spring, P2 Spring, and P3 Spring. While CCTST and HSRT are similar for assessing foundational critical thinking, the DIT2 assesses complex moral thinking. Each thinking test was correlated with academic success by undergraduate and graduate grade-point averages (GPAs). ResultsThe CCTST was administered in P1 Fall (20.1 ± 5.0). For HSRT, mean ± S.D. was P1 Spring: 22.7 ± 3.5, P2 Spring: 22.6 ± 4.8, and P3 Spring: 23.8 ± 4.5. After converting P1-CCTST and P2-HSRT scores using user-manual interpretations, there was no difference on paired comparison (P = 0.22, 0.1 Cohen’s d). There was a small difference between P1-HSRT and P3-HSRT (P < 0.01, 0.2 Cohen’s d). Also administered each time, the DIT2 was P1 Fall: 40.4 ± 12.6, P1 Spring: 36.3 ± 13.7, P2 Spring: 44.9 ± 13.6, and P3 Spring: 43.4 ± 15.4. For DIT2, both P1 Fall to P2 Spring and P1 Spring to P3 Spring were significant with small and medium effect-sizes (both P < 0.01, 0.4 and 0.5 Cohen’s d respectively). Importantly, multiple HSRT, and DIT2 assessments correlated with undergraduate and graduate GPAs. ConclusionsDuring a Pharm.D. program of study, students developed substantially in moral reasoning though minimally in foundational critical thinking. Both foundational and moral reasoning correlated with academic success. Showing responsiveness to change, the DIT2 appears helpful as a measure of cognitive development for pharmacy education.

Critical Thinking Development in Pharmacy Education: A Meta-Analysis

Objective: The investigators aimed to summarize prior studies of critical thinking development among pharmacy students, using the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST), Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT), and Defining Issues Test (DIT).&#x0D; Methods: Independently, two investigators (KLZ, MJP) systematically searched available literature using PubMed, Google Scholar, ERIC, PsychInfo, as well as pharmacy education conference abstracts in American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. Their search terms were ‘pharmacy’, and [‘critical thinking’, ‘HSRT’, ‘CCTST’, and ‘DIT’]. Studies included were those that investigated pharmacy students, used one of the tests (CCTST, HSRT, DIT), and used a longitudinal design with test administration at two or more time-points for the same subjects (i.e., development). On review, the CCTST and HSRT seem more foundational to analytical/critical thinking, while the DIT appears to measure moral/complex thinking. Summarizing used meta-analysis with Cohen’s d and random-effects modelling.&#x0D; Results: Five studies involved thinking development with 10 separate cohorts for meta-analysis (8 cohorts for CCTST, 2 for DIT, and 0 for HSRT). At 5 institutions, 407 and 1148 students were included (CCTST and DIT, respectively). For the CCTST, the overall effect was 0.33 (0.19-0.47 95%CI) with some heterogeneity among study cohorts (I2=52%). For the DIT, the overall effect was -0.23 (-0.83-0.37 95%CI) with considerable heterogeneity between study cohorts (I2=95%). For the CCTST and DIT, some studies showed effect-sizes greater than 0.5. Meta-analysis of the HSRT could not be conducted (i.e., 0 studies found).&#x0D; Implications: While measuring different aspects of “critical thinking”, the CCTST and DIT showed responsiveness to change and appear to be promising measures of cognitive development. These tests should be used in further well-designed research studies that explore strategies for improving cognitive development in pharmacy education.&#x0D; Conflict of Interest&#x0D; We declare no conflicts of interest or financial interests that the we or members of our immediate families have in any product or service discussed in the manuscript, including grants (pending or received), employment, gifts, stock holdings or options, honoraria, consultancies, expert testimony, patents and royalties.&#x0D; &#x0D; Type: Original Research

How not to evaluate a psychological measure: Rebuttal to criticism of the Defining Issues Test of moral judgment development by Curzer and colleagues

In a 2014 paper in Theory and Research in Education, Howard Curzer and colleagues critique the Defining Issues Test of moral judgment development according to eight criteria that are described as difficulties any measure of educational outcomes must address. This article highlights how Curzer et al. do not consult existing empirical evidence, misunderstand the model and method associated with the Defining Issues Test, and thereby reach conclusions that are unwarranted, incomplete, and ultimately indefensible. To address these shortcomings, we present an overview of the Defining Issues Test and note relevant criteria for evaluating a measure of moral judgment development.

Relationships Among the Knowledge, Efficacy, and Practices Instrument, Color‐Blind Racial Attitudes Scale, Deamonte Driver Survey, and Defining Issues Test 2

Concordance studies indicate the degree to which instruments measure the same or similar constructs or something different. The aims of this study were to identify the factor structure of the Deamonte Driver Survey and determine the relationship between the Deamonte Driver (a measure of social class stereotyping), the Defining Issues Test 2 (DIT2; a measure of ethical sensitivity), the Color-Blind Racial Attitudes Scale (CoBRAS; a measure of racial stereotyping), and the Knowledge, Efficacy, and Practices Instrument (KEPI; a measure of cultural competence). The results showed a three-factor solution for the Deamonte Driver Survey and significant relationships between CoBRAS and DIT2 subscales and between CoBRAS and Deamonte Driver subscales. Significant relationships between the measures and exploratory variables, underrepresented minority status, age, citizenship, marital status, political stance, English as a first language, and gender were found. The lack of a significant relationship between the KEPI and Deamonte Driver, DIT2, or CoBRAS subscales suggests that the KEPI is measuring a unique construct. These findings showed how these scales contributed to the assessment of cultural competence among dental students and faculty.

Relationships among Cultural Disposition, Morality, and Psychological Health of Medical Students in a Province of Korea

This study aimed to investigate the relationship among the cultural disposition, morality, and psychological health of medical students to determine how these factors might relate to curriculum planning in medical education. Data was collected from a total of 186 medical students. The questionnaire used included the individual cultural disposition scale, the symptom checklist-90-revised, and the defining issues test. To evaluate individual cultural disposition, we classified students into four categories—low, individual, collective, or mixed cultural disposition—using individualism/collectivism and vertical/horizontal dimensions. We found that those who were younger and in earlier academic years had higher collectivism than individualism and the males had higher individualism than the females. There was no difference in morality or psychological health by the students’ sex, age, or academic year. Horizontal collectivism and moral judgment showed a statistically significant correlation (r=0.150, p

An Examination of Ethical Influences on the Work of Tax Practitioners

As a contribution to the continuing debate about tax practitioner ethics, this paper explores the main streams of Western ethical thought that are relevant to tax practitioners’ work, most typically deontology and consequentialism (although virtue ethics and distributive justice are also considered). It then goes on to consider the impact of such ethical influences on the professional ethical codes of conduct that govern tax practitioners’ work (with specific reference to the UK and Ireland), and attempts to unravel the complex work and ethical environment of the practice of tax in terms of tax compliance and tax avoidance. The paper then examines the prior studies on tax practitioners and ethics and the type of dilemmas that practitioners face in the context of their work. The paper proceeds to examine empirically the extent to which tax practitioners take a consequentialist versus a deontological approach in their reasoning about moral dilemmas. This is carried out by an innovative use of the Defining Issues Test.

Implicit Values behind Young Architects’ Moral Level: A Case Study in Malaysia

&lt;p&gt;Moral principles are perpetually of immense significance in human society. Kohlberg has been recognized in the scholar world as the forerunner in identifying moral levels. Though subjective, his six levels of morality set the platform for other researchers to look deeply into it across many parameters. Later on, attempts were also made to measure morality quantitatively. Defining Issues Test (DIT) is one of the most recognized one. Studies went one step deeper with professional ethics being considered as a component of general morality. The challenge was that, while measuring ethics, a universal tool seemed to be unfair to judge different professionals. Moreover, in most cases, code of conducts, instead of morality, was the platform to measure Ethics. Construction-related Moral-judgment Test (CMT) was one of few newly developed tools to measure professional ethics, with ‘construction’ in this case being the profession. This study customized CMT, specific to architects in the context of Malaysia, but adopted Kohlberg’s moral levels as the platform to judge morality, instead of measuring ethical level on the basis of practicing codes of conducts in the profession. Investigating on a sample of 135 young architects around Malaysia selected through stratified random sampling, the study found some implicit interesting factors that emerged. It showed that working experience might be strongly correlated with increasing level of morality, but at young age, it might show a different direction in the curve.&lt;/p&gt;

Ethics Education in Allied Health: A Systematic Review of Learning Outcomes for Entry-Level Students

The complexities of modern healthcare pose a range of ethical issues for health professionals. In preparing student health professionals for these complexities, entry-level education must go beyond exposure to ethical theory, codes and standards. The aim of this systematic review was to determine the student learning outcomes reported in peer-reviewed allied health literature following ethics training. The review method included an a priori protocol, adherence to PRISMA statement, with critical appraisal via the Critical Appraisal Checklist for an Article on an Educational Intervention and The Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) Qualitative Checklist. From a total of 1237 possible records published between 1991 and 2015, 11 studies of variable methodological quality met the inclusion criteria for final synthesis. Studies focused on teaching to occupational therapy, physiotherapy, pharmacy and dietetics students (n=588). Heterogeneity among studies precluded meta-analysis and data were synthesised qualitatively in a narrative format. A range of outcomes measures were used in the reviewed publications including the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcomes (SOLO), Defining Issues Test (DIT), Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS), Attitudes to Health Professionals Questionnaire (AHPQ), Student Development Task Lifestyle Inventory (SDTLI) and the Socio-moral Reflection Measure-short form (SRM-SF). Other studies surveyed students at the completion of the educational intervention using free text questions or Likert scales. The pedagogical approach used was varied, including transformative, constructivist, arts-based, inter-professional, problem-based or experiential learning approaches. The findings of this review suggest that given the current body of evidence, the teaching of ethics to and for allied health students should include the delivery of ethics focused content, be intensive in nature, link theory with real-life situations and practice, and expose students to multiple views using a variety of methods such as reflection and discussion of ambiguous, controversial topics. While the exact prescription of ethics training to maximise efficacy and uptake is unknown, there is some suggestion that immediate learning outcomes may follow a dose-response pattern, providing potential for future teaching models to incorporate repeated ethics exposure support for cumulative and sustained learning.

The impact of an end-of-life healthcare ethics educational intervention

Background The impact of healthcare ethics educational interventions on participants’ ethical development is rarely reported on and assessed; even less attention is paid to educational interventions that focus on end-of-life ethical issues. Aim To evaluate the impact of the Ethical Framework for End-of-Life Care Study Sessions Programme ( EOLCSS) on the moral development of healthcare staff who are delivering end-of-life care. Methods The EOLCSS was delivered to 20 multi-disciplinary health care staff in Ireland in May 2013. Effect on moral reasoning was measured pre and post education using the Defining Issues Test 2 (DIT2). Inferential statistics were used to examine the relationships between change in DIT2 scores and demographic variables. Results Participants experienced moral reasoning development following receipt of EOLCSS. Age and previous ethics education contributed to the observed changes in moral reasoning. Conclusions Receipt of the EOLCSS may contribute to moral reasoning development in practicing healthcare professionals.

Developing Moral Maturity

The purpose of this study was to add to the limited body of knowledge on the effect of the media ethics course, specifically to investigate the effect of the course on the growth in moral judgment reasoning of students through a quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test analysis using the Defining Issues Test 2 (DIT-2). Results demonstrated significant advances in such reasoning among students in one section of the media ethics course but not in the other. It is difficult to determine the exact cause that led to significant increases in moral judgment reasoning in one section of a course and not the other, but the effect of different educational interventions seems clear. Although we cannot know which techniques or combination of techniques were successful, it would seem that interactive and experiential activities that require demonstrated application of principles in the classroom are more successful than traditional Socratic lecture and reflection essay methods.

RATIONALE AND TEACHING OBJECTIVES FOR A CANADIAN ENGINEERING ETHICS GAME

This paper uses Tyler’s rationale as a framework for analyzing the teaching objectives surrounding the design of a video game to teach Canadian engineering ethics.The two keys challenges in this area are defining what should be taught in engineering ethics and then how it is evaluated in order to demonstrate improved understanding. Traditionally, engineering ethics courses are taught as either codes of conduct, or based on case studies with very constrained courses. The evaluation that follows then uses the Defining Issues Test (DIT) or an instructor’s evaluation.However, the above methods could be improved by focusing on engineering ethics as a situated, embedded, and applied discipline. That is, one in which decisions are made as part of a team, embedded in a workplace whose goals will likely be in conflict with the engineers, and whose outcomes are unknown at the time decisions are made.By using a serious game in which the players are protagonists affords us the opportunity to present thick cases with multiple decision points and opportunities for players to demonstrate their ethical bias. Additionally, the progress of players and their interactions with non-playing characters can reveal information on their assumptions and ethical bias.

Organization of intrinsic functional brain connectivity predicts decisions to reciprocate social behavior

Reciprocation of trust exchanges is central to the development of interpersonal relationships and societal well-being. Understanding how humans make pro-social and self-centered decisions in dyadic interactions and how to predict these choices has been an area of great interest in social neuroscience. A functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) based technology with potential clinical application is the study of resting state brain connectivity. We tested if resting state connectivity may predict choice behavior in a social context. Twenty-nine healthy adults underwent resting state fMRI before performing the Trust Game, a two person monetary exchange game. We assessed the ability of patterns of resting-state functional brain organization, demographic characteristics and a measure of moral development, the Defining Issues Test (DIT-2), to predict individuals' decisions to reciprocate money during the Trust Game. Subjects reciprocated in 74.9% of the trials. Independent component analysis identified canonical resting-state networks. Increased functional connectivity between the salience (bilateral insula/anterior cingulate) and central executive (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex/ posterior parietal cortex) networks significantly predicted the choice to reciprocate pro-social behavior (R2=0.20, p=0.015). Stepwise linear regression analysis showed that functional connectivity between these two networks (p=0.002), age (p=0.007) and DIT-2 personal interest schema score (p=0.032) significantly predicted reciprocity behavior (R2=0.498, p=0.001). Intrinsic functional connectivity between neural networks in conjunction with other individual characteristics may be a valuable tool for predicting performance during social interactions. Future replication and temporal extension of these findings may bolster the understanding of decision making in clinical, financial and marketing settings.

Examining Moral Reasoning and Transactional Leadership behaviour in the Nigerian Public Sector

The relationship between moral reasoning and leadership style has received considerable attention for decades, however this has been not fully explicated as different leadership styles elist different ethical values. What constitutes moral behaviour is conflicting and subjective. This study examines public leaders’ degree of moral judgment associated with leadership styles in a public sector organization. To test the hypothesized relationship, data were collected using questionnaire survey distributed to 550 workers out which 300 were found worthy to be used. The Defining Issues Test (DIT2) and the Multifactor leadership questionnaire (MLQ X5) were completed by leaders and subordinates respectively. The PLS path analysis of the structural model indicates significant statistical relationship between cognitive moral development (CMD) and transactional leadership style (TSL) ( β= -0.214, P&lt; 0.012). However, we argue that cognitive moral development is amiable to the individual qualities of the leader that might necessitate the application of particular leadership style and behaviour. We also found collaboration evidence that leaders high in cognitive moral development are perceived more as transformational leaders by their subordinates. Finally, we suggest that the dichotomies between moral reasoning and leadership style are hinged more on individual leadership values and motivational beliefs.