Trustworthy Leadership and Ethical Stewardship in Organisations

Description

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21355184

Reginald Ndwamai, Nyatheli Tracy, and Khathutshelo Khashane (Department of Human Resource Management and Labour Relations, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa)

In this paper, ethical stewardship in organisations is a concept which is based on the mediating role of perceived trustworthiness. Ethical stewardship is the commitment of leaders to the moral obligations of their employees, to society and to the long-term growth of financial value. It is also the actions of leaders that matter to the reader as well as how trustworthy they may be to them so that leaders are seen as ethical stewards. The theory of leadership ethics and governance and organisational behaviour was also given in a theoretical model, and it is the links between leadership behavior, perceived trustworthiness and ethical stewardship in order to build the ethical culture and commitment of followers. This study does not provide empirical data but helps theoretical development through a framework to guide empirical papers and practical leadership training. By promoting ethical stewardship, the paper emphasizes the need for organizations to develop leadership strategies in which they value not only trust but also values and people. Keywords: ethical stewardship, leadership behavior, trustworthiness, ethical governance, organisational values, sustainable leadership, theoretical model.