Question 1
Business ethics is currently one of the most controversial topics, especially among managers as some people argue that it is increasingly becoming irrelevant. There is no doubt that ethics play an important role in the success of businesses ( Kaptein, 2017) . Modern customers like to associate with companies that enjoy the positive public image, which is mainly contributed by good business practices. At the same time, employees are now attracted to organizations that uphold ethical values besides offering lucrative salaries and other benefits ( Griffin & Moorhead, 2014) . On the contrary, some managers and organizations maintain that ethical behaviors and practices can be costly, leading to reduce profits for shareholders ( Kaptein, 2017) . Others also argue that the alleged ethical behaviors are only aimed at benefiting organizations and managers, and not customers and other stakeholders. However, despite the contentious debate on the topic, ethics remains central to managerial thinking despite the concerns being raised by different people.
The main concern is the conflict between ethics and interests of managers and businesses. As much as a manager would like to remain ethical, he or she has to meet the needs and interests of shareholders. Besides, the central role of a manager is to maximize profits by minimizing the cost, which is conflicting because executing ethical practices ( Griffin & Moorhead, 2014) . Nevertheless, the rate at which managers and business students are pursuing business ethics courses and training is an indication that concerns about ethics will remain central to managerial thinking. Moreover, a lot of books and articles are being written about business ethics that try to explain its importance and concerns. Also, a significant number of established companies are striving to establish proper ethics into their culture and operations. Therefore, there is enough evidence to prove that concerns regarding ethics will remain central to managerial thinking.
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Question 2
The Big Five personality is one of the most common frameworks that are used to predict the type of leadership as well as ethics in leadership. The Big Five personality model has five attributes that include agreeableness, openness, extraversion, neuroticism, and conscientiousness. The five attributes influence a manager's behaviors in dealing with his or her subordinates. A Manager who is high in agreeableness is likely to be kind, considerate, and helpful towards other people, including subordinates. At the same time, such a manager would like to maintain a harmonious relationship with subordinates by compromising in the case of conflict ( Griffin & Moorhead, 2014) .
On the contrary, a manager who is low in agreeableness will be less concerned about the welfare and needs of subordinates. A manager who is high on conscientiousness, on the other hand, will be determined to create a fair and favorable working environment for subordinates while demonstrating ethical behaviors ( Camps, Stouten & Euwema, 2016) . However, a manager who is high in conscientiousness may end up micro-managing subordinates because of the determination to achieve the set objectives.
Besides, a manager who is high in extraversion is not only sociable assertive, leading to a beneficial relationship with subordinates ( Camps, Stouten & Euwema, 2016) . Extravert managers tend to create positive emotions when interacting with others. Nevertheless, it is possible for extravert managers to create a conflicting relationship with subordinates because they are bold in their communication. Conversely, a manager who is high in neuroticism is likely to have a poor relationship with subordinates due to disruptive emotions, anxiety, and constant stress ( Camps, Stouten & Euwema, 2016) . The final attribute is openness and a manager who is open and receptive and can encourage innovation and creativity among subordinates. Also, an open manager can enhance teamwork, leading to enhanced performance.
References
Camps, J., Stouten, J., & Euwema, M. (2016). The relation between supervisors’ big five personality traits and employees’ experiences of abusive supervision. Frontiers in psychology , 7(2) , 112-132.
Griffin, R. W., & Moorhead, G. (2014). Organizational behavior: Managing people and organizations (11 th Ed.). South-Western .
Kaptein, M. (2017). The battle for business ethics: A struggle theory. Journal of Business Ethics , 144 (2), 343-361.
