Virtuous Leadership and Restaurant Performance: The Moderating Role of Psychological Capital

This dissertation explored relationships between virtuous leadership, psychological capital, and restaurant performance within an upper echelons theory framework. More than 200 restaurant operators from one quick-service brand within the United States were surveyed. The direct effects of virtuous leadership and its subdimensions were examined with objective restaurant performance data including sales growth, profit, labor cost, and retention. Psychological capital was tested as a moderator and ethical leadership was included to compare. Independent variables were collected using self-reported measures from restaurant leaders, while dependent variables were collected using performance data. Multiple regression and confirmatory factor analyses evaluated the hypotheses and found no hypotheses supported in the expected direction. This study contributes to literature regardless of its null findings by adding to research concerning potential overlap of ethical and virtuous leadership constructs. This was particularly noticeable in the humanity subdimension of virtuous leadership, and this study argues for continuous refinement of virtuous leadership measurement tools. For leaders in restaurants and other industries, it offers thought-provoking work around virtue and performance. Limitations of this work include self-report bias and organizational context. Future research should continue to explore virtuous leadership's role on restaurant performance.