Impact of Culture on Concepts of Ethical Business Leadership

The interaction of Culture and Ethics is becoming such a hot topic; that it will burn top echelon managers if they fail to decipher the subtle and sensitive issues encountered in a diverse workforce. Despite the dire need to address a paradigm shift in handling employees and operating organizations, not much empirical evidence on the subject of cultural ethics can be found in the literature. Managers often err when a curve ball labeled culture and ethics intertwined is thrown at them since they are unfamiliar with the cultural background of those being supervised. Therefore, decisions are made without an awareness of how these cultural an ethical nuances affect the individual. This study investigates the influence of culture on concepts of what constitutes ethical leadership in business among United States citizens today. Issues of gender, ascribed vs. achieved status, and power distance are addressed in terms of what constitutes ethical leadership amongst business managers