It is often said that our perceptions of a given situation constitute our reality (whether based on accurate fact or fiction), and that we have little choice but to behave in a manner that is congruent with our perceptions. In the world of higher education, when faculty and staff perceive that their institution's leadership is acting in a manner that is unethical, unfair, or biased, their attitudes towards that institution, work performance, and job satisfaction suffer.
In short, ethical leadership in a college settingùboth real and perceivedùis vital to successfully fulfilling its educational mission (Deeds, 2004). It is therefore imperative that college leadership (specifically deans and directors) conduct themselves in a manner that is perceived by their staffs and faculties as ethical, positive, and appropriate.
The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions held by staff and faculty about the ethical leadership decisions of their respective deans and directors and to evaluate the impacts of those perceptions on job satisfaction and work performance.
Today's leaders in higher education are facing new roles and using new strategies due to increased knowledge demands (especially in terms of information technology) and student diversity (in terms of both international and domestic populations) (Rantz, 2002). In this evolving context, leaders must adhere to ethical codes of conduct. According to Dean (1997), maintaining ethical conduct entails the understanding and application of ethical standards, as well as showing leadership behaviors that mirror ethical codes (see also Mendonca, 2001). Calabrese and Roberts (2002) and Trevino, Hartman and Brown (2000) argue that character and reputation are at the core of ethical leadership. These and other characteristics inspire loyaltyùan important component of ethical leadership (Scarnati, 2000).
Zhu, May and Avolio (2004) recently published a report on the impact...