Leader Ethical Errors: How Contextual Factors And Attributions Impact Subordinate Perceptions
Open Access
Author:
Kundro, Timothy Glyn
Area of Honors:
Psychology
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Dr. Samuel Todd Hunter, Thesis Supervisor Dr. Richard Alan Carlson, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
leadership mistake error action subordinate
Abstract:
Leaders, although unintentionally, often make errors. While research has begun to
explore the effect that both relational and task errors have on subordinate perceptions, we
investigated the unique effect of a third type of error, or ethical errors. This study investigated
how the type of ethical error (action vs. inaction) and the target of the error affects subordinate perceptions of the leader. We found that ethical errors that stemmed from a leaders direct action
were more severe than those that stemmed from inaction. Furthermore, in our exploratory
analyses, we found that the reported “most frustrating” aspects of the error, as well as the
perceived ability for the participant to act differently if they were in the leader’s place, varied depending on who was the target of the ethical error. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed.
