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1 mars 2017
More and more firms are now adopting
a globally responsible approach which , research
shows, not only helps the planet and society
but often boosts innovation and profits too.
Overseeing this velvet revolution is the business
leader It is a way of doing business that should
underpin and influence every corporate action.
As a result , it runs the risk of being perceived as
nebulous and lessconcrete than other aspects
of doing business. Because of the far-reaching
yet sometimes hazy nature of responsibility
businessleaders often find themselves faced
with an initial and key challenge: how to define
what responsible leadership really is. The
problem is that the term can appear vague and
mean different things to different people . How
to become a responsible leader without having
a clear definition of responsible behaviour with
which to be guided by? When put on the spot
by researchers, managers questioned about the
role of responsible leadership in the business
firm tend to agree on a seriesof common
aspects that define what responsibility should
mean in
THE VELVET
REVOLUTION
Responsibilipiis coursecritical onall levels
operatingin the21st centurybut unlikeothermore
traditionalaspects thebusiness
, it isfraught with
questions whichtheanswersarenotalways
for . Onereason
simple
for thisis its verytransversal
nature. Whilehumanresources
haveonly a nominal
influenceon advertisingor R D hasonly basic
must
operationallinkstofinance,
thewhole
firm.
permeatethroughout
&
s globalised business
today'
environment . These aspects also reflect what
scholars increasingly consider responsible
leadership to be.
A key element of this definition is the ability
to make informed ethical judgments about
prevailing norms and rules . Especially when
overseeing global business operations ,
responsible leaders should be able to question
norms of business conduct they deem wrong.
Therefore , adding a responsibility dimension to
the concept of leadership that extends beyond
mere liability means that leaders will be
expected to assumea position on local societal
or organisational conditions . They also have to
be prepared to make a stand wherever laws and
regulations are flawed or non-existent . This
entails speaking up where unethical practices
are concerned . Displaying moral courage in
this way was another of the commitments the
managers questioned sought in a responsible
businessleader . Responsibility within a
company should mean helping to remedy
injustice internally and externally The aim is
therefore not only to do the best for the firm ,
but also to aspire to be a general force for good
that generates positive change. Such a business
leader profile goes far beyond what was
previously associated with ethical or responsible
ARTICLE CHRISTIAN
VOEGTUN , ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR - AUDENCIA
BUSINESS SCHOOL , FRANCE
leadership . It implies a shift in perspective,
requiring a forward-looking instead of a
backward-looking responsibility orientation.
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1 mars 2017
Rather than basing responsibility on the
retroactive logic of holding accountable those
who have already performed an unethical act ,
emerge as those who use their influence to
initiate and moderate dialogues . Responsible
leadership thereby offers the possibility to
uncover mutually beneficial solutions for all
forward-looking business leaders make
proactive efforts to prevent such accidents and
scandals . They therefore anticipate the
consequences of their decisions, orient their
stakeholders engaged in the problem-solving
process . It can thus be argued that the one
thing that underpins the successof this new
model of responsible business leadership is
what researchers call the 'social connection
model ' of responsibility This theory argues
that the responsibility for the harm caused by
structural injustices must be assumed by all
thinking to the long term and consider the
potentially negative impact doing business can
have on people , society and the planet . The
stressis thus firmly on long-term thinking and
perspective taking . The managers questioned
also stated that the new generation of
responsible business leaders need to
communicate effectively with stakeholders.
While total transparency is perhaps not
possible nor even always advisable , those in
those whose actions contribute to the structural
processes that produced these injustices . For
instance , poverty or global warming are global
problems that are not caused by single entities ,
nor can they be solved by individual actors ;
charge of firms should try to foster healthy
relations with those who have a vested interest
in their business. Links to shareholders are
however ; many business firms contribute with
their actions to these problems . Integrating this
notion of shared responsibility into the
already a key area for companies , but greater
responsibility brings with it the recognition of
concept of leadership has important
implications . While the current concepts of
ethical and responsible leadership place the
other groups such as staff unions , local
communities , NG0s , professional bodies and
the like . Establishing channels of
burden of moral conduct only on the leader,
sharing responsibility makes leadership
a collective effort . In this case, a breach of
communication with all these stakeholders is
a first step that must then be followed by a
ethical conduct does not mean searching for
a scapegoat , but rather relying on shared
clear and coordinated plan that allows these
channels to inform each group of the firm' s
progress. At the same time , this will enable
the firm to incorporate the responses of
problem solving . Regarding responsible
leadership as shared also means that different
parties assume leadership roles in the search
stakeholders into its decision making processes.
for common solutions . Every party affected by
RATHER
THAN
RETROACTIVE
WHO
HAVE
BASING
LOGIC
ALREADY
FORWARD-LOOKING
EFFORTS TO PREVENT
RESPONSIBILITY
OF HOLDING
PERFORMED
BUSINESS
SUCH
ON
THE
THOSE
ACCOUNTABLE
AN
UNETHICAL
LEADERS
ACCIDENTS
MAKE
AND
ACT ,
PROACTIVE
SCANDALS
So, how does this new model of responsible
leadership actually operate and make
a decision can be regarded as part of the
solution . As a result, problem solving becomes
a difference? The answer appears to be
through collective action . This is because we
based on dialogue . For those interviewed , the
challenges of collective problem solving are to
find a common language and to accommodate
have to recognise that there is usually not
a single person or entity who is responsible
for creating unethical , irresponsible or
unsustainable conditions prevalent in global
business. Such a notion of responsible
conflicting goals. In this regard , responsible
leadership is about dealing with paradoxes and
relates to the management of complexity For
leadership can help to stressthat collective
problem solving is required if successful and
instance, responsible leaders might need to be
able to handle an economic and a social logic
simultaneously which involves often displaying
positive change is to be achieved . Leaders
seemingly contradictory traits in their behaviour
and decision making . Thus , responsible leaders
require strong cognitive , relational , and
behavioural capacities to tailor their responses
to a wide variety of different demands.
Cognitive complexity enables leaders to
recognise and comprehend various interests
and to deal with a greater multitude of news
and information ; relational complexity
comprises the ability to communicate and
negotiate with different groups and is based on
emotional intelligence and cultural sensitivity ;
behavioural complexity is the capacity to draw
on a broad behavioural repertoire , including
different leadership roles , to display these
different roles in interactions with diverse
stakeholders and to switch between (sometimes
conflicting) roles, depending on the setting or
situation . Organisations can try to foster
individual capacities to deal with complexity
by providing training and development , for
instance by sending managers to take part in
activities with NG0s , social entrepreneurs , or
international organisations in developing
countries . Alternatively
such capacities can be
encouraged through the creation of a
stimulating company context . This
HR policies that favour the recruitment of
open-minded people , that offer training in
situations of ambiguity and conflict , and that
encourage staff to practice auto-evaluation
and self-criticism.
What research therefore highlights is that the
responsibility for responding to current societal
and environmental problems is much more
shared , collective and communicative than is
portrayed in current leadership approaches.
The data indicates that leaders who at the same
time care for their company their employees
and society are perceived as more effective
compared to others in the organisation . They
also appear to have a positive influence on their
commitment to the firm aswell as
employees'
on employees'
community citizenship
behaviour Clearly there is much to be gained
from embracing responsible leadership.
A
firm'
s senseof collective strength can be
enhanced ascan profits , image and
communication . It seemsthat today' sbusiness
leaders have little excuse not to adhere to
a logic that promises much .
FURTHER
IFOR
WWW
.AUDENCIA
INFO
. COM
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