Keynote Speech I

Title

Responsible Research: Enhancing Rigor and Relevance in Responsible Leadership Studies

Presenter

Anne Tsui

Abstract

Over the past three decades, criticisms abound that business school research suffers from a lack of both rigor and relevance. The former is referred to as the “credibility crisis” and is due to the prevalence of many questionable research practices (such as HARKing, P-hacking, data manipulation, sample trimming), causing the results of most published work to be untrustworthy and the majority of the studies not being replicable. The latter is known as the “relevance crisis” and it refers to the large gap between research and practice. However, neither rigor nor relevance alone is sufficient for research to be useful in solving business problems and for addressing society’s needs. The Responsible Research in Business and Management (RRBM) initiative points out the interdependent nature of rigor and relevance and formulates seven principles to facilitate the production of knowledge that is both credible and useful. In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the topic of responsible leadership. Given its global interest and contemporary importance, responsible leadership is a promising area to apply the principles of responsible research. Using illustrative questions, I will show how these seven principles offer guidance in designing studies of responsible leadership to produce credible and reliable results and potentially useful knowledge. It is also an opportunity for the scientific community in business schools to demonstrate responsible leadership by transforming our research from a focus on only the interests of the researchers and their schools to a focus on the ultimate users of knowledge, including students, managers, and policy makers. Responsible researchers can help businesses and, through their responsible leadership, be a positive force for a better world.

Keynote Speech II

Title

Confucian Self-reflection, Leader Moral Character, and Responsible Leadership

Presenter

Chao C. Chen

Abstract

Irresponsible corporate behaviours have often been viewed as traces of character flaws of those who occupy leadership positions. Character strength and virtue ethics have been proposed as sources of responsible behaviours. The question is, for the promotion of responsible leadership, what mechanisms could be put in place for the development and enhancement of character? Existing theory and research in business ethics treat character as largely stable for adults and point to enculturation as the primary means of facilitating ethical leadership. Confucianism, however, viewed character cultivation as a purposeful, life-long process by individual actors engaged in frequent and conscientious self-reflection. Drawing on Confucianism and social psychological theory on moral self-regulation, I present a theoretical model of self-reflection, leader moral character cultivation and responsible leadership in the workplace. Linking the Confucian view of junzi (noble person) and responsible leadership, I will discuss what responsible leadership entails, and how leader character can be strengthened through interlocking (moral) self-reflection steps of introspection, self-accountable cognitions and emotions, and self-rectification. I then identify factors that are likely to activate self-reflection processes, which in turn can facilitate character cultivation and responsible leadership. Potential boundary conditions will also be proposed. Finally, I will present findings of preliminary research regarding self-reflection and its effects on leadership and supervision.

Panel 1
Leading by Morality: Moral Foundations of Leadership, Cultural Boundaries, and Potential Downsides

In this panel, we examine the moral dimension of leadership both theoretically and empirically. The first presentation proposes new ways of thinking about what it means to be an ethical leader. The second focuses particularly on servant leadership and the role of cultural settings. The third challenges the well-accepted optimistic view regarding the consequences of being moral in the workplace.

Panel 1 – Presentation 1

Title

What Does is Mean for a Leader to be Moral? Considerations on the Ethical Dimension of Leadership

Presenter

Ryan Fehr

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed a dramatic increase in research on ethical leadership and related constructs. Although this literature has deeply improved our understanding of the ethical dimension of leader behaviour, it has also suffered from limitations. In particular, the ethical leadership literature often overlooks the question of what, exactly, comprises the moral domain. In this talk, I will draw from the moralisation and moral foundations literatures to propose new ways of thinking about what it means to be an ethical leader.

Panel 1 – Presentation 2

Title

The Downsides of Morality at Work

Presenter

Sam KC Yam

Abstract

To date, scholars have remained largely optimistic about the consequences of being paragons of morality. In this talk I will challenge aspects of this commonly-held belief. In the first project, I will present studies that explore the tension between morality, humour, and likeability. Across six studies, I find that moral employees are less likely to appreciate humour and generate jokes others found funny, which in turn lead to lower ratings of likeability. In the second project, I will focus on ethical leaders. Contrary to the vast literature on ethical leadership, I find that followers engage in the least citizenship behaviour towards both highly ethical and highly unethical leaders. In the final project, I will focus on the selection process. In three studies with both professional and novice interviewers, I find that the morality of the candidate interacts with the nature of the job such that candidates who send signals of morality are less likely to be selected for morally-tainted jobs, compared to neutral candidates. Although our society will be better off if people are moral, my work shows that there can be significant social and professional costs in displaying morality at work.  

Panel 1 – Presentation 3

Title

Servant Leadership: Background, Cultural Context, and New Frontiers

Presenter

Hao Zhao

Abstract

Servant leaders prioritise the needs and interests of others in the organisation and the larger community. I will introduce servant leadership’s origins, current knowledge, and its relevance in China. We recently tested a dual mediation model using multiple samples in China and found the effect of servant leadership on employees’ work engagement is primarily through the social exchange process instead of the social learning process. I will also discuss opportunities for future research, including new theoretical perspectives, methodological improvements, further attention to the cultural context, and potentially unintended consequences.

Panel II: The Impact and Antecedents of Actions of the Firm Related to Responsible Leadership

In this panel, we examine specific actions that firms and CEOs take and explore why firms choose to take actions related to responsible leadership and the impact of such actions on internal stakeholders. The panel first examines why multinationals in China participate in corporate philanthropy. We then investigate the impact of cause-related marketing on employees. Finally, we consider how CEO family supportive behaviours impact top management teams.

Panel II – Presentation 1

Title

Mimicry Dynamics: A Study of Multinational Enterprises’ Philanthropic Donations to Disaster Relief in China

Presenter

Jianjun Zhang

Abstract

Institutional theory suggests mimicry under uncertainty, but cannot explain whom multinational enterprises (MNEs) imitate, home country peers or host country competitors? Based on MNEs’ donations to disaster relief following the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake in China, we develop a staged model of MNEs’ mimetic behaviour, arguing that MNEs imitate home country peers first and host industry competitors second, as an adaptation to a social movement comparing them with their domestic competitors. Further, we propose that liability of foreignness strengthens the imitation of home country peers in the early stage, but mitigates the adaptation later, whereas reputation enhances imitation in both stages. Empirical analysis of a longitudinal sample of MNEs’ donation supports our hypotheses. Our study contributes to institutional theory and corporate social responsibility (CSR) literature.

Panel II – Presentation 2

Title

Cause-related Marketing and Employee Engagement: The Roles of Admiration, Implicit Morality Beliefs, and Moral Identity

Presenter

Melody Chao

Abstract

Cause-related marketing refers to supporting a charitable cause or a non-profit organisation to promote sales. Studies examining the effectiveness of cause-related marketing have focused almost exclusively on consumer-related outcomes. Little is known about its effects on employees. Understanding how cause-related marketing influences employees is important because employees have the most proximal and intensive exposure to the practices. Two field experiments found that cause-related marketing enhances employees’ admiration for their company, which in turn promotes job engagement. Importantly, employee’s implicit morality beliefs and moral identity centrality jointly moderate these relationships. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings will be discussed.

Panel II – Presentation 3

Title

Antecedents and Outcomes of CEO Family-Supportive Supervisor Behaviours

Presenter

Ho Kwong Kwan

Abstract

Family-supportive supervisor behaviours (FSSB) are behaviours performed by supervisors that are supportive of subordinates’ families. These behaviours help followers reduce work-family conflict and achieve work-life balance. While most research has focused on frontline employees and supervisors, research on CEOs’ FSSB is overlooked. In this study, we attempt to explore how and why CEOs exhibit FSSB and its beneficial effects on top management teams.