Development and validity of the Ethical Leadership Questionnaire

Abstract

Purpose – This study had five objectives: explain the initial steps that led to the construction of the Ethical Leadership Questionnaire (ELQ); analyze the items and verify the ELQ reliability using item response theory (IRT); examine its factorial structure with a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and an exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) approach; test the item bias of the ELQ; assess the relation between the ELQ dimensions and ethical sensitivity. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Study 1 and Study 2 involved 200 and 668 respondents, respectively. Step 1 consisted in IRT; Step 2 in CFA and ESEM analysis; Step 3 in invariance of the ELQ items across gender, and Step 4 in structural equation modeling. Findings – Results indicated the presence of the three types of ethic in the resolution of moral dilemmas, validating Starratt's model. The factor structure was gender invariant. Ethic of critique was significantly related to ethical sensitivity. Research limitations/implications – More replications will be needed to fully support the ELQ's validity. Given that the instrument may be used in diverse cultural contexts, invariance across cultures would be warranted. Practical implications – As educational organizations become aware of the crucial need for more ethical leaders, they will need to pay particular attention to the ethic of critique as it appears to play a significant role in the development of ethical sensitivity. Social implications – Results presented in this paper answer a vital need for more ethical skills in educational leadership. Originality/value – The ELQ provides a validated measure of Starratt's conceptual framework and highlights the key role played by ethical sensitivity and the ethic of critique.

Findings from a mixed‐methods pragmatic cluster trial evaluating the impact of ethics education interventions on residential care‐givers

“…Another secondary outcome was Ethical Leadership, assessed used the Ethical Leadership Questionnaire (ELQ; Langlois et al., 2014). The ELQ was developed for leadership research in education, business and public administration settings.…”

The Perceived Views of Principals and Supervisors towards Their Ethical Leadership in Some Selected Primary Schools of Eastern Ethiopia

“…Presently, an increasing number of researchers are trying to research the ethical dimensions of leadership, including education (Langlois et al, 2014). Furthermore, in recent years, the ethics of practice has been a popular topic of discussion in many professional fields, including education (Kocabas & Karakouml, 2009).…”

Ethical leadership and change: A qualitative comparative case study in selected Malaysian transformed schools

“…Due to the aforementioned issues, a substantial and growing body of research is found in the recent literature that is aimed at developing an understanding regarding the ethical dimensions of leadership in schools (Arar et al, 2016;Langlois et al, 2014) and of the role of leadership in school change (Fullan, 2011;Hallinger, 2003;Leithwood et al, 2008). However, only a small number of these studies focussed on leaders' ethical practices in times of change (Burnes and By, 2012).…”