What is it about?
Leaders are often considered to have more influence than followers. This case study considers how followers' exaggerated admiration and loyalty can make a well-meaning leader overconfident and ultimately lead to poor ethical decision-making.
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Why is it important?
This film analysis points out the importance of promoting critical thinking at all levels in the workplace and emphasizes the two-way nature of the leader-follower influence relationship. HR professionals, professional associations, and business schools can use this story as an inspiration for expanding ethics training.
Perspectives
I really enjoy analyzing films and using them to illustrate important concepts that I teach about leadership, followership, communication, and ethics. "The Wave" appeals to me particularly because of my connection to Germany. My hope is that by tapping into the emotional experience of watching a movie students will connect in a more powerful way to the concepts.
Dr Kae Reynolds
University of the West of Scotland
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The Interplay of Follower and Leader Ethics: A Case Study of the Film “The Wave”, November 2016, Emerald,
DOI: 10.1108/978-1-78560-948-020161017.
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