The micro-foundations of socially responsible leadership: an exploratory study among for-profit managers

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand how managers in for-profit organizations frame and develop their social responsibility in their leadership roles, particularly in relation to societal grand challenges (GCs). Design/methodology/approach Taking a life- and career-span developmental perspective, in-depth semi-structured interviews with 21 for-profit managers at various stages of their careers were used to generate narratives of responsible leadership (RL) development. Findings Business leaders tend to frame their RL in strategist mindset terms. There is evidence of psychological distance from issues of social responsibility in general and the GCs in particular. This was related to a compartmentalized sense of self, which itself developed through organizational socialization. Originality/value This study extends our understanding of the micro-foundations of RL by clarifying a potential link between a compartmentalized or integrated sense of self and the leader’s psychological distance from the GCs.