Good leadership is achieved by virtuous relationships

• In this paper I discuss what good leadership means and how it can be manifested in the leader-follower relationship, in a way that could prove advantageous for both organisation and employees, including effectiveness and ethics. I consider theories about different leadership styles, i.e. task-oriented versus relation-oriented, together with Burns (1978) theories about transformational and transactional leadership, and various ethical perspectives. These perspectives are 1)teleological theories which means the end justifies the means, and the outcome will be stressed, e.g. utilitarian and ethical egoism, 2) the deontological duty ethics, which focus on the rules people ought to follow; they have moral obligations independent of the outcome (Aronson, 2001), and 3) Aristotelian virtue ethics, which involves our day-to-day actions as well as the character of the actors (Hällsten, 2003). Good leadership is connected to relationships between leaders and followers, as well as to ethics (Ciulla, 2004). I use a qualitative, in-depth, and interpretive method, describing three managers practise at Volvo Car Corporation, especially focusing one of them as representing the good leadership. I argue in favour of a combination of different styles together with ethical considerations. The good leadership should be task- and relationoriented, transformational (without excluding transactional aspects), and virtuous. It should also include knowledge about technical issues, because this gives the relationships legitimacy. All these aspects gives an integrated whole for the relationships. When a manager is able to create such good relationships, together with the co-workers, there are advantages for both parties. The advantage for the company is that the production-process works well with fewer disturbances; for the co-workers it means that they have a manager/leader who is interested in their work as well as in themselves as human beings. Good leadership is based upon achieving virtuous or excellent relationships. Some of the virtues that have been found during this study are dialogic skill, adaptability, flexibility and caring.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv -- Företagsekonomi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business -- Business Administration (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Leadership

Relationships

Ethics

Transformational

Virtue

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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