Followers Navigating Ethical Dilemmas - Kyle Payne

Dr. Kyle Payne, a strategic talent development leader based in Chicago, describes his recent study exploring how professional engineers navigate ethical dilemmas. 

Kyle has fifteen years of experience driving process improvement and behavior change through training, coaching, and consulting. In his research, he focuses on unethical behavior at work and examines the behaviors of “ethical followers” who resist unethical behavior and call into question unethical thinking.

UPDATE: Dr. Payne's article (discussed in this episode) will be published in the summer 2024 issue of the International Journal of Ethical Leadership. Upon publication, the article may be downloaded from the journal website at https://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/ijel/.

• “There was a lot of mention of protecting the public, protecting themselves, that sense of being a moral person, protecting colleagues, protecting the profession as well.”
• “I’m hearing these examples of very creative and courageous actions, and yet, that same participant is telling me, I wish I could have acted sooner.” 
• “It’s not just a decision, you really need to have a space where you can express these concerns, where you can feel heard…otherwise I’m not sure where you develop that sense of self-efficacy.”

Research References 

• Mary Uhl-Bien, Ronald E. Riggio, Kevin B. Lowe, Melissa K. Carsten. Followership theory: A review and research agenda. The Leadership Quarterly, Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014, Pages 83-104.
•  Carsten, M. K., & Uhl-Bien, M. (2013). Ethical Followership: An Examination of Followership Beliefs and Crimes of Obedience. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 20(1), 49-61.
•  Chaleff, I. (2009). The courageous follower: Standing up to and for our leaders (3rd ed.). Berret-Koehler Publishers.
• Hernandez, M., & Sitkin, S. B. (2012). Who is leading the leader? Follower influence on leader ethicality. In D. D. Cremer, & A. E. Tenbrunsel (Eds.), Behavioral business ethics: Shaping an emerging field (pp. 81-104). Routledge. 
• Kassing, J. (2011). Dissent in organizations. Polity Press.

Other References 

• Kasia Urbaniak, Unbound
• https://www.amazon.com/Unbound-Womans-Guide-Kasia-Urbaniak-ebook/dp/B084FKX7XV/
•  S1 E8: How Courageous Followers can stop Destructive Leadership - Alain de Sales
• https://leadfollow.buzzsprout.com/1735834/8716279-courageous-followers-can-stop-destructive-leadership-alain-de-sales
•  Global Followership Conference – April 25-26, 2024
• http://www.followershipconference.com

Connect with Dr. Kyle Payne:

 Website: http://www.kylepaynephd.com

 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-payne-phd-98567b50/