Perceptions of leadership integrity in the logistics sector in south Florida: A correlation of followers' assessments

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between leadership behaviors and integrity as perceived by followers. Two existing surveys were used to explore this relationship: the Leadership Practices Inventory (J. M. Kouzes & B. Posner, 2002) and the Perceived Leader Integrity Scale (S. Craig & S. Gustafson, 1998). The two instruments chosen for this study were developed to measure follower perceptions, and consist of behavioral items that are appropriate for use in developmental feedback. This study sought to complement current knowledge about perceived leadership behaviors and integrity in organizational settings. Leadership development programs may be improved with this information. The theoretical leadership models reviewed in this study indicated that the notion of integrity should be at the core of leadership development programs. As organizations continue to face the challenge of ridding their executive offices of individuals behaving in an unethical manner, emerging leaders should adopt the approach of developing cooperative relationships through bottom-up and top-down dialogues aimed at creating an atmosphere of trust.