Ethics and Leadership
Outline
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Moral Development
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Freudian Theory
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Kohlberg’s and Gilligan’s Levels
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Social Learning Theory
Psychodynamic Theory
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Sigmund Freud: Three part construction of personality
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Id
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Ego
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Home of primitive animalistic energy and subconscious drives
such as hunger and sex.
The conscious, rational aspect of personality which mediates
between the demands of the id and the behavioral expectations
of the world. The ego exercises reason and sanity, evaluates
consequences, and determines a course of action.
Superego
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Develops between ages 3-5 – one’s conscience. An internalized
sense of morality learned from one’s parents. Yields guilt when
disobeyed.
Critical Assessment of
Freudian Theory
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On what evidence is Freudian theory
based?
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Freud’s experience was largely limited to
troubled, wealthy women. He never worked
with children.
There is no empirical evidence supporting
many of his theoretical constructs
Lacking empirical verification, many of his
theories are not clearly defined or explained.
Kohlberg’s Levels
• Kohlberg’s theory has 3 levels (6 stages)
of moral development
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Focuses primarily on moral values such as
fairness, justice, equity, and human dignity
Assessing development level
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Heinz dilemma
It is the reasoning of their responses, not the
answer itself.
Heinz’s Dilemma
In Europe, a woman was near death from a special kind
of cancer. There was one drug that the doctors thought
might save her. It was a form of radium that a druggist
in the same town had recently discovered. The drug was
expensive to make, but the druggist was charging ten
times what the drug cost him to make. He paid $200 for
the radium and charged $2,000 for a small dose of the
drug. The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to
everyone he knew to borrow the money, but he could
only get together about $ 1,000 which is half of what it
cost. He told the druggist that his wife was dying and
asked him to sell it cheaper or let him pay later. But the
druggist said: "No, I discovered the drug and I'm going
to make money from it." So Heinz got desperate and
broke into the man's store to steal the drug for his wife.
Should the husband have done that?
Kohlberg’s Levels
Postconventional
level
Morality of abstract
principles: to affirm
agreed-upon rights and
personal ethical principles
Conventional
level
Morality of law and
social rules: to gain
approval or avoid
disapproval
Preconventional
level
Morality of self-interest:
to avoid punishment
or gain concrete rewards
Kohlbergs Theory
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Level I: Preconventional
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Morality externally controlledpunishment = bad reward=good
Stage I: Punishment and obedience
orientation….
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obey due to superior power and rules
Fear of authority and avoid punishment
Ignore peoples intentions –can not see two points of
view
Level I Kohlberg
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Stage II: Individualism, Instrumental
purpose, and exchange…
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Immediate interest; what is good brings good results
Reciprocity beginning—equal exchange of favors
Start to understand that people can have different
perspectives in a dilemma
Kohlberg’s Theory
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Level II-Conventional Morality
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Preserving societal order---sustaining
relationships
STAGE 3: Interpersonal Expectations and
Conformity
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“good boy/bad girl” maintain affection and approval of
significant individuals
Promotion of social harmony
Begin to understand idea behind the golden rule—ideal
reciprocity
Level II Kohlberg
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STAGE 4: Social-order Maintenance
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Moral actions are defined by larger social groups—fulfill selfdefined duties and uphold laws
Societal laws taken into consideration and can not be broken
for any reason
Kohlberg’s Theory
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Level III: Post Conventional Morality
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More abstract principles rather than rules that
apply to many situations
STAGE 5: Social Contract
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Imagine alternatives to social order, rules are a contract
that can be changed—free and willing participation
Laws need to be consistent with human rights
Level III Kohlberg
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STAGE 6: Universal Ethical Principles
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Self-chosen ethics –system of values and principles—
respect for the worth of individuals
Respect for worth and dignity of each individual
Moral Development
Evaluating Kohlberg’s Theory
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Cross-cultural validity
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Non-western cultures rarely above stage 4
Socialist people and the Heinz dilemma
Buddhist monks
Family influences
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Family plays an important role (ignored in Kohlberg’s
model)
Study of parents talking to children about dilemmas
Gender and Kohlberg’s scale
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When Kohlberg’s instrument was administered on
a large scale, it was discovered that females often
scored a full stage below their male counterparts.
The moral reasoning of women and girls was
more likely to value looking for a solution that
preserved connections. This often looked like the
“good girl” orientation, Level 2.
Gilligan’s argument
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Men: justice and fairness
Women: responsibility to show care and avoid harm
Differences between Men’s Moral
Voices and Women’s Moral Voices
Men
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Justice
Rights
Treating everyone fairly
and the same
Apply rules impartially to
everyone
Responsibility toward
abstract codes of conduct
Women
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Care
Responsibility
Caring about
everyone’s suffering
Preserve emotional
connectedness
Responsibility toward
real individuals
Differences between Men’s and
Women’s View of the Self
Men
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Autonomy
Freedom
Independence
Separateness
Hierarchy
Rules guide interactions
Roles establish places in
the hierarchy
Women
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Relatedness
Interdependence
Emotional connectedness
Responsiveness to needs of
others
Web of relationships
Empathy & connectedness
guide interactions
Roles are secondary to
connections
Gilligan
Social Learning Theory
Perspective
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Modeling and Positive Discipline
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Reinforcement (positive discipline):
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Model characteristics that promote imitation
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Our parents teach us that it is good to be helpful-- we are
rewarded for helping and punished for not helping
warmth and responsiveness
competence and power
consistency between assertions and behavior
Positive discipline helps children acquire positive behavior
Punishment
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Promotes only momentary compliance
Undesirable side effects:
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Adult models of aggression
Learn to avoid the punishing adult
Offers immediate relief to parents (reinforced
for using coercive discipline), so that parent is
more likely to punish with greater frequency
over time (can spiral into serious abuse)
Social Learning Theory:
Example
The Salvation Army Santa Claus study:
When a confederate walked out of a store in
front of a SS and gave a dollar to Santa Claus,
the SS was more likely to give a dollar himself
than when there was no confederate
Social Learning Theory:
Example
Rushton & Campbell, 1977:
SS and confederate interacted in the lab
Left the study together and passed a blood donation booth
2 conditions: Confederate volunteered to give blood or not
Results:
Model = 67% agreed to donate--33% followed through
No model = 25% agreed to donate-- 0% followed through
Discussion
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How do these theories of moral development
relate to the study of leadership?
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Be sure to address both the leader and the
follower in your discussion