Date of Conferral

2016

Degree

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)

School

Management

Advisor

Janet Booker

Abstract

Ethical principles applied in organizations can broaden individual and corporate priorities beyond profit and shareholder enrichment. Ethical factors may influence leaders to make sound decisions to protect the organization from unethical behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine if a correlation exists between the independent variables of leadership and decision making, and the dependent variable of ethical behavior. Drucker's theory of management served as the theoretical framework. Data collection involved 2 survey instruments, the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire and the Moral Potency Questionnaire from 98 participants from retail businesses in the southwestern United States. The model as a whole was able to significantly predict ethical behavior (F(2, 95) = 12.79, p < .01), R-² = .21. However, none of the individual predictors was significant. The existence of multicollinearity between the 2-predictor variables offers a plausible explanation for this phenomenon. Therefore, these results should be viewed with caution. Implications for positive social change include examining behaviors and leadership capabilities in individuals, communities, organizations, and institutions. The findings may contribute to social change by providing leaders with information to improve strategies when making decisions involving ethical behavior in the workplace.

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