EditorialEthical LeadershipAn Overview and Future PerspectivesJeroen Stouten, Marius van Dijke, and David De CremerJeroen Stouten Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium Search for more papers by this author, Marius van Dijke Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands Search for more papers by this author, and David De Cremer Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands London Business School, London, UK Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:February 28, 2012https://doi.org/10.1027/1866-5888/a000059PDFView Full Text ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInReddit SectionsMoreReferences Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50, 179–211. doi: 10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Bamberg, S. , Moser, G. (2007). Twenty years after Hines, Hungerford, and Tomera: A new meta-analysis of psycho-social determinants of pro-environmental behaviour. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 27, 14–25. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvp. 2006.12.002 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive view. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar Bargh, J. A. , Chen, M. , Burrows, L. (1996). Automaticity of social behavior: Direct effects of trait construct and stereotype activation on action. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 230–244. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Boehm, C. (1999). Hierarchy in the forest. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar Brown, M. E. , Treviño, L. K. (2006). Ethical leadership: A review and future directions. The Leadership Quarterly, 17, 595–616. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Brown, M. E. , Treviño, L. K. , Harrison, D. A. (2005). Ethical leadership: A social learning perspective for construct development and testing. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 97, 117–134. doi: 10.1016/j.obhdp. 2005.03.002 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Camps, J. , Decoster, S. , Stouten, J. (2012). My share is fair, so I don’t care: The moderating role of distributive justice in the perception of leaders’ self-serving behavior. Journal of Personnel Psychology, 11, 49–59. First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar Cornelis, I. , Van Hiel, A. , De Cremer, D. (2012). The effect of followers’ belongingness needs on leaders’ procedural fairness enactment: Mediation through interpersonal and team attraction. Journal of Personnel Psychology, 11, 31–39. First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar Craig, S. B. , Gustafson, S. B. (1998). Perceived leader integrity scale: An instrument for assessing employee perceptions of leader integrity. The Leadership Quarterly, 9, 127–145. doi: 10.1016/S1048-9843(98)90001-7 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar De Hoogh, A. , Den Hartog, D. (2008). Ethical and despotic leadership, relationships with leader’s social responsibility, top management team effectiveness and subordinates’ optimism: A multi-method approach. The Leadership Quarterly, 19, 297–311. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar De Waal, F. B. M. (1996). Good natured: The origins of right and wrong in humans and other animals. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar Durkheim, E. (1951). Suicide. New York, NY: Free Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar Eisenbeiß, S. A. , Giessner, S. R. (2012). The emergence and maintenance of ethical leadership in organizations: A question of embeddedness? Journal of Personnel Psychology, 11, 7–19. First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar European Commission . (2009). European Competitiveness Report. Retrieved from ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/_getdocument.cfm?doc_id=4058 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar Fry, L. , Kriger, M. (2009). Towards a theory of being-centered leadership: Multiple levels of being as context for effective leadership. Human Relations, 62, 1667–1696. doi: 10.1177/0018726709346380 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Gini, A. (1998). Moral leadership and business ethics. In J. B. Ciulla (Ed.), Ethics, the heart of leadership (pp. 27–45). Westport, CT: Quorum Books. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar Haidt, J. (2007). The new synthesis in moral psychology. Science, 316, 998–1002. doi: 10.1126/science.1137651 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar Haidt, J. (2008). Morality. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 3, 65–72. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-6916.2008.00063.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Haidt, J. , Koller, S. H. , Dias, M. G. (1993). Affect, culture, and morality, or is it wrong to eat your dog? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 613–613. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Hogan, R. , Kaiser, R. B. (2005). What we know about leadership. Review of General Psychology, 9, 169–180. doi: 10.1037/1089-2680.9.2.169 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Howell, J. M. , Avolio, B. J. (1992). The ethics of charismatic leadership: Submission or liberation? Academy of Management Executive, 6, 43–54. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Kalshoven, K. , Boon, C. T. (2012). Ethical leadership, employee well-being and helping: The moderating role of human resource management. Journal of Personnel Psychology, 11, 60–68. First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar Kanungo, R. N. (2001). Ethical values of transactional and transformational leaders. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences, 18, 257–265. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Karpoff, J. M. , Lee, D. S. , Martin, G. S. (2008). The cost to firms of cooking the books. Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, 43, 581–611. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Mayer, D. , Aquino, K. , Kuenzi, M. , Greenbaum, R. (in press). Who displays ethical leadership and why does it matter: An examination of antecedents and consequences of ethical leadership. Academy of Management Journal. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar Mayer, D. M. , Kuenzi, M. , Greenbaum, R. , Bardes, M. , Salvador, R. (2009). How low does ethical leadership flow? Test of a trickle-down model. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 108, 1–13. doi: 10.1016/j.obhdp. 2008.04.002 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Padilla, A. , Hogan, R. , Kaiser, R. B. (2007). The toxic triangle: Destructive leaders, susceptible followers, and conducive environments. The Leadership Quarterly, 18, 176–194. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Piccolo, R. F. , Greenbaum, R. , Den Hartog, D. D. , Folger, R. (2010). The relationship between ethical leadership and core job characteristics. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 31, 259–278. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Riggio, R. E. , Zhu, W. , Reina, C. , Maroosis, J. A. (2010). Virtue-based measurement of ethical leadership: The Leadership Virtues Questionnaire. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 62, 235–250. doi: 10.1037/a0022286 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Schminke, M. , Ambrose, M. , & Neubaum, D. (2005). The effect of leader moral development on ethical climate and employee attitudes. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 97, 135–151. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Seppälä, T. , Lipponen, J. , Pirttilä-Backman, A.-M. , Lipsanen, J. (2012). A trust-focused model of leaders’ fairness enactment. Journal of Personnel Psychology, 11, 20–30. First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar Stouten, J. , Baillien, E. , Van den Broeck, A. , Camps, J. , Witte, H. , & Euwema, M. (2011). Discouraging bullying: The role of ethical leadership and its effects on the work environment. Journal of Business Ethics, 95, 17–27. doi: 10.1007/s10551-011-0797-x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Sullivan, B. N. , Haunschild, P. , Page, K. (2007). Organizations non gratae? The impact of unethical corporate acts on interorganizational networks. Organizational Science, 18, 55–70. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Trevino, L. K. , Nelson, A. K. (2011). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar Treviño, L. K. , Brown, M. E. , Hartman, L. P. (2003). A qualitative investigation of perceived executive ethical leadership: Perceptions from inside and outside the executive suite. Human Relations, 56, 5–37. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Treviño, L. K. , Hartman, L. P. , Brown, M. E. (2000). Moral person and moral manager: How executives develop a reputation for ethical leadership. California Management Review, 42, 128–142. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Van Vugt, M. , Hogan, R. , Kaiser, R. B. (2008). Leadership, followership, and evolution: Some lessons from the past. American Psychologist, 63, 182–196. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.63.3.182 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Walumbwa, F. O. , Mayer, D. M. , Wang, P. , Wang, H. , Workman, K. , & Christensen, A. L. (2011). Linking ethical leadership to employee performance: The roles of leader-member exchange, self-efficacy, and organizational identification. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 115, 204–213. doi: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2010.11.002 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Walumbwa, F. O. , Schaubroeck, J. (2009). Leader personality traits and employee voice behavior: Mediating roles of ethical leadership and work group psychological safety. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94, 1275–1286. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Weaver, G. R. , Treviño, L. K. , Agle, B. (2005). Somebody I look up to: Ethical role models in organizations. Organizational Dynamics, 34, 313–330. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Wisse, B. , Rus, D. (2012). Leader self-concept and self-interested behavior: The moderating role of power. Journal of Personnel Psychology, 11, 40–48. First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar Zhong, C.-B. , Liljenquist, K. (2006). Washing away your sins: Threatened morality and physical cleansing. Science, 313, 1451–1452. doi: 10.1126/science.1130726 First citation in articleCrossref, Google ScholarFiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited byEthical leadership and follower unethical pro-organizational behavior: examining the dual influence mechanisms of affective and continuance commitments5 April 2023 | The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 2020How Leaders Influence (un)Ethical Behaviors Within Organizations: A Laboratory Experiment on Reporting Choices13 March 2022 | Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 183, No. 2Ethical leadership, ethical dilemmas and decision making among school administrators25 January 2022 | Equity in Education & Society, Vol. 1, No. 1Literaturübersicht: Die Entwicklung der ethischen Führung6 December 2022Morality traits for an ideal nurse manager: A multicentre cross‐sectional study18 March 2021 | Journal of Nursing Management, Vol. 29, No. 6Ethical leadership and performance: The effect of follower individualism-collectivism13 May 2021 | International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, Vol. 21, No. 2MEDIATING EFFECTS OF EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT IN RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TOXIC LEADERSHIP AND EMPLOYEES’ PERFORMANCE17 July 2021 | Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews, Vol. 9, No. 4LİDERLİK TARZLARININ BİBLİYOMETRİK ANALİZİ18 March 2021 | Erciyes Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü DergisiDoes supportive supervisor complements the effect of ethical leadership on employee engagement?23 September 2021 | Cogent Business & Management, Vol. 8, No. 1Ethische und destruktive Führung: Gute Führung – schlechte Führung17 December 2021AN INVESTIGATION OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHERS 'PERCEPTION OF ETHICAL LEADERSHIP ACCORDING TO SOME VARIABLESEuropean Journal of Health and Science in SportsAbusive Supervision as a Response to Follower Hostility: A Moderated Mediation Model15 November 2018 | Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 164, No. 3Impact of ethical leadership on job satisfaction: the mediating effect of work–family conflictLeadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-printFührung als erfolgreiche Einflussnahme in kritischen Momenten19 November 2019How Ethical Leadership Shapes Employees’ Readiness to Change: The Mediating Role of an Organizational Culture of Effectiveness14 November 2019 | Frontiers in Psychology, Vol. 10Responsible and Sustainable Management Practices in Developing and Developed Business EnvironmentsThe Dual Role of Leadership in Shaping Organizational TransparencySSRN Electronic Journal, Vol. 87A Study on Effects of CEO's Ethical Leadership on Members' Organizational Citizenship Behavior in Senior Welfare Center: Focusing on the Mediating Effects of Organizational TransparencyKorean Journal of Gerontological Social Welfare, Vol. 73, No. 4Leaders and decision making: a study of the drivers of courage20 March 2018 | Problems and Perspectives in Management, Vol. 16, No. 1Cooperation across Disciplines: A Multilevel Perspective on Cooperative Behavior in Governing Interfirm RelationsAcademy of Management Annals, Vol. 11, No. 2Integrity, ethical leadership, trust and work engagementLeadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 38, No. 3Literature Review: The Evolution of Ethical Leadership7 September 2016Organisation10 November 2016The Dark Side of Leadership: The Role of Informal Institutional Framework on the Negative Moral and Ethical Behaviors of Leaders in Organizations10 June 2017Responsible and Sustainable Management Practices in Developing and Developed Business EnvironmentsEducating for ethical leadership through web-based coaching3 August 2016 | Nursing Ethics, Vol. 23, No. 8The Moral Judgment Relationship Between Leaders and Followers: A Comparative Study Across the Taiwan Strait22 October 2014 | Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 134, No. 2Registered Reports, Advance Articles Online, and the Way AheadRolf van Dick Editor-in-Chief17 June 2015 | Journal of Personnel Psychology, Vol. 14, No. 1Ethical Leadership and Reputation: Combined Indirect Effects on Organizational Deviance12 December 2013 | Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 127, No. 1Creative Leadership: A Multi-Context Conceptualization30 March 2015 | The Academy of Management Annals, Vol. 9, No. 1Creative Leadership: A Multi-Context ConceptualizationAcademy of Management Annals, Vol. 9, No. 1Ethische und destruktive Führung: Gute Führung – schlechte Führung24 October 2013Ethical Leadership for Public OrganizationKorean Review of Organizational Studies, Vol. 10, No. 2 Volume 11Issue 1January 2012ISSN: 1866-5888eISSN: 2190-5150 InformationJournal of Personnel Psychology (2012), 11, pp. 1-6 https://doi.org/10.1027/1866-5888/a000059.© 2012Hogrefe PublishingAcknowledgments:This work was supported by STRT1/10/013TBA from the Research Fund of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.PDF download