An exploration of the personal values that motivate responsible leaders in Canadian organizations: A personal perspective on corporate social responsibility

Abstract

The personal decisions and actions of the senior leaders of business determine the social responsibility of the firm. To understand why one company is socially responsible and another is not, we should examine the leadership. Curiously, it is only recently that senior leaders have become the focus of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) literature, even though their decisions drive performance and shape the organization’s culture. Scholars have now identified a leader’s mindset as a missing link in understanding the inconsistencies of CSR. While some new studies have explored leaders’ mindsets, an examination of personal values has not formed part of that research. Building on the findings of some contemporary scholars, I designed a study with a research question that went to the heart of this issue: What are the personal values that affect the decisions of responsible leaders around social responsibility? For the research design, I employed a qualitative, multi-theoretical, multi-case study approach with a focus on micro-foundations. Stakeholder and responsible leadership theories formed the theoretical foundation and I consulted multiple literatures to ensure a more holistic description of the project. Using criteria from emerging research on responsible leadership and the findings from the 12 Canadian senior corporate leaders in my study, I identified value dimensions to explain the motivations of these responsible leaders. In doing so I have added a unique component to the responsible leadership framework that has been a missing element within the literature. This study demonstrates how leadership plays a central role in determining social responsibility within the firm and that a values-based leadership approach embeds responsibility in the organization’s culture. The value dimensions I have proposed expand the narrative around the integrative responsible leader and should build support for responsible leadership theory. The findings may resonate with individual leaders who aspire to a more integrity-based, fair-minded, and collaborative form of leadership. On a broader level, a senior leader with integrative characteristics and values has the capacity to rebuild social responsibility and trust and provide a much-needed alternative to the dominant leadership style represented in the global marketplace today.