Ethical Leadership and Leaders' Personalities

We examined relationships between ethical leadership and leaders' personality dimensions using the Ethical Leadership Scale (Brown, Treviño, & Harrison, 2005) and the NEO Five-Factor Inventory: Form S (Costa & McCrae, 1996; McCrae & Costa, 1987). We obtained data from subordinate-supervisor dyads from 59 community healthcare centers located in a city in northern China. Results of regression analysis revealed that neuroticism was negatively (β = -.29, p < .05), and extraversion (β = .27, p < .05), agreeableness (β = .40, < .01), and conscientiousness (β = .40, p < .01) positively, related to ethical leadership, when leaders' demographics were controlled for. Implications for future investigations of ethical leadership and for management practice are discussed.