Inspirational Leadership and Ethics: Leading Manufacturing Workers Without Manipulation or Coercion

The relationship between task performance and ethical leadership is meaningful in manufacturing as job tasks are often measured in fractions of a second. The scope of this research project focuses on leadership in a manufacturing setting wherein the leader motivates workers without the use of manipulation or coercion. It is my intention to add to the body of literature by examining existing research in this area and viewing said research through the unique lens of leadership and hourly manufacturing personnel or floor workers.

Ethical leadership is a challenging phenomenon, especially from the context of honoring the individual will and avoiding manipulation. Zhang et al. (2018) used the social information processing theory (SIPT) in explaining the dilemmas related to ethical leadership. The study found that ethical leaders invoke praising emotions in their followers to enhance moral actions. Similarly, the core self-evaluation of leaders also gathers positive attributes of ethical leadership on followers. As a result, the follower is motivated to self-reflect on their actions and inactions. This practice provides promise for improving interpersonal relations, work performance, and organizational cooperation (Bouckenoogle et al., 2015, Kalshoven et al., 2015). A common goal of organizational leadership is to achieve goals by limiting work deviance and noncompliance, This helps improve task performance (Zhang et al., 2018).

Avey et al. (2011) showed that follower characteristics such as self-esteem, team climate, and leadership style moderate the effectiveness of ethical leadership. Social information processing theory promises moral actions in followers when they follow ethical leaders. However, it remains uncertain whether such efforts translate into improved performance. Emotions within the moral domain both consciously and subconsciously affect behaviors and decision-making in employees. Most attention on ethical leadership is focused on cognitive mechanisms in driving perceived accountability and organizational politics. Still, studies have rarely explored how ethical leadership converts moral standards (personal beliefs) into moral action in followers. 

References

Avey, J., Palanski, M., & Walumbwa, F. (2011). When leadership goes unnoticed: The moderating role of follower self-esteem on the relationship between ethical leadership and follower behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 98(4), 573-582. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0610-2

Bouckenooghe, D., Zafar, A., & Raja, U. (2015). How ethical leadership Ssapes employees' job performance: The mediating roles of goal congruence and psychological capital. Journal of Business Ethics, 129(2), 251-264. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2162-3

Kalshoven, K., Den Hartog, D., N., & De Hoogh, A. H.,B. (2013). Ethical leadership and followers' helping and initiative: The role of demonstrated responsibility and job autonomy. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 22(2), 165-181. https://doi.org//10.1080/1359432X.2011.640773.

Zhang, Y., Zhou, F., & Mao, J. (2018). Ethical leadership and follower moral actions: Investigating an emotional linkage. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1881. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01881