| Ethical issues are an ongoing problem in today's world. The daily news is full of stories of ethical lapses within the business world, government, and law enforcement. These lapses highlight a need for a better understanding of ethics, ethical behavior, and effective leadership. This study explored transformational leadership and perceptions of ethical behavior to determine if there is a correlation. The study targeted sworn law enforcement officers, with a rank of Sergeant or below, employed by a local public safety organization in South Carolina. This correlational survey research utilized the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and the Ethical Leadership Scale to examine the relationship between leadership style and ethical behavior. The study found a positive correlation exists between perceived ethical behavior and both transformational leadership and transactional leadership and a negative correlation exists between perceived ethical behavior and passive avoidant leadership. This study provides information that organizations can use to improve leadership selection and development processes, in an effort to increase ethical leadership and organizational effectiveness. |
