Public sector leadership-subordinate ethical diffusion conundrum: perspectives from developing African countries

Abstract

The interaction between organizational superiors and their subordinates has a practical implication on the entire organizational life cycle in terms of ethical conduct. This study explores how ethics among public leadership could trickle down on the conduct of public employees by using two empirical cases from developing African countries context. Using the attraction-selection-attrition and social learning models, the study assesses how superiors influence street level bureaucrats' interaction with clients or customers. Drawing from existing cases and other secondary data, we propose a leadership-ethical diffusion model that argues that subordinates' perception and experience of superiors' behavior tend to create a kind of organizational 'ethical groupthink', which spans the rank and file of the organization.

Ethical leadership

“…One such study (Downe et al , 2016) found that organizations that are involved in good conduct bring forth leaders that replicate those good conducts and who preempt the escalation of problems which in turns help in the reduced use of ethics regulations altogether. Another study conducted in the public sector of two African countries (Yeboah Assiamah et al , 2016) revealed that the ethical behavior of leaders trickles down to lower level employees. The study explains that subordinates’ perception of leader’s behavior creates a group think which floated throughout the organization.…”

Ethical Leadership as a Predictor of Work Deviance Among Public Sector Workers in Administrative Offices in the Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach

“…For example, in recent times, there was a rift between leaders and subordinates of the Ghana Airport Company as workers alleged leaders were insensitive to their plight as management planned to cede responsibility to a private company (Myjoyonline, 2020). A good number of studies have been conducted in Ghana with regards to ethical leadership, productive work attitudes and organizational climate in the private sector (Addai, Avor, Ofori, & Tweneboah, 2019;Kumasey, 2018;Boakye, 2017;Yeboah-Assiamah, Asamoah, Bawole, & Buabeng, 2016;Arthur, 2015) but less is known about leadership's ethical dimensions and work deviance in the public sector. Scholars argue that since few studies have examined the link between ethical leadership and workplace deviance, an in-depth research is needed to clarify the relationship (Mo & Shi, 2017;Neves & Story, 2015).…”

Untitled

“…48 Yeboah-Assiamah, Asamoah, Bawole & Buabeng (2016) or even their part in unethical conduct. Consequences must be severing for all those who conduct unethical behaviour.…”