BUSI 570 Week 8 Group DB Forum 4 Replies Example

Group Discussion Board Forum 4: Replies

BUSI 570 Ethical Leadership, Group Discussion Board Forum 4: Replies

Thread by [Student Name]

The two group members and their threads are composites; the research and Scripture cited are real, and the requirements follow Liberty's public course guide for BUSI 570.

Reply to Priscilla

Priscilla, your thread argued that authenticity is the root of every other leadership virtue, because followers can tell when a leader's stated values are a performance. I agree, and research offers a way to make authenticity something an organization can develop rather than merely admire. In the view of Avolio and Gardner (2005), authenticity sits underneath servant, transformational and ethical leadership alike, and it is developed rather than inborn, growing as leaders reflect honestly on their own experiences, including failures, and learn to regulate their behavior by their values. Walumbwa et al. (2008) then built and validated a measure across samples from China, Kenya and the United States, identifying four components: knowing one's own strengths and limits, openness in relationships, acting from inner moral standards rather than outside pressure, and giving contrary evidence a fair hearing before making up one's mind. Their measure predicted followers' attitudes and behavior beyond what ethical and transformational leadership explained. For your company, a 360-degree review built around those four components could show managers where their teams see a gap between their words and actions. The value of such a review depends on what follows it: managers would need coaching and time to act on what they learn, or the exercise would itself become a performance. Which of the four do you think your managers would find hardest to hear feedback on?

Reply to Terrence

Terrence, your thread made a moving case that leaders must model forgiveness after a downsizing, both forgiving employees who criticized the decision and seeking forgiveness from those who were hurt by it. Cameron and Caza (2002) argued that forgiveness is an organizational virtue that helps organizations recover from injury and trauma such as downsizing, and that leaders play a central role by demonstrating it themselves. Aquino et al. (2006) studied how employees respond to being wronged and found that a climate of procedural justice shaped the response: where procedures were seen as fair, employees with status were more likely to forgive and reconcile, while in unfair climates offenses were more likely to lead to revenge. That finding suggests forgiveness cannot simply be requested; leaders have to build the fairness that makes it possible. Paul told the Colossians to bear with one another and forgive as the Lord had forgiven them (Colossians 3:13). For your company, explaining the layoff criteria openly and giving departing employees a fair process might do more to encourage forgiveness than any statement from the chief executive. Leaders can also model the second half of your argument by acknowledging mistakes in how the downsizing was handled, which makes it easier for others to let go of their own grievances. What did the company in your example communicate about how layoff decisions were made?

References

Aquino, K., Tripp, T. M., & Bies, R. J. (2006). Getting even or moving on? Power, procedural justice, and types of offense as predictors of revenge, forgiveness, reconciliation, and avoidance in organizations. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(3), 653-668. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.91.3.653

Avolio, B. J., & Gardner, W. L. (2005). Authentic leadership development: Getting to the root of positive forms of leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(3), 315-338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2005.03.001

Cameron, K., & Caza, A. (2002). Organizational and leadership virtues and the role of forgiveness. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 9(1), 33-48. https://doi.org/10.1177/107179190200900103

Walumbwa, F. O., Avolio, B. J., Gardner, W. L., Wernsing, T. S., & Peterson, S. J. (2008). Authentic leadership: Development and validation of a theory-based measure. Journal of Management, 34(1), 89-126. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206307308913