Ethical Leadership Style Questionnaire, ELSQ Test - the question form

1. You are the supervisor of a production team. You discover that your subordinates have been falsifying product quality assessment results to increase sales. If you report this to senior management, most of your subordinates will likely lose their jobs. You also risk losing yours, and the company’s reputation would be seriously damaged. What would you do in this situation?

2. One member of your team cannot keep up with the workload, and the whole team is struggling to meet its targets as a result. This person was recommended to you by the manager of another department. You now suspect the recommendation was not sincere, but simply a way to get rid of a poor performer. You could do the same by recommending this person to another department without mentioning the performance problems. What would you do in this situation?

3. Your team is in the final stage of an important project. The work has been difficult. You suddenly learn that there is an open position in the company—an ideal opportunity for one of your most capable employees. If they leave the team, the project may be at risk of failing. What would you do in this situation?

4. One of your employees has a child who is seriously ill, and the employee is barely keeping up with work. Your assistant tells you that this employee recorded 40 hours on the timesheet but actually worked only 30. How would you act in this situation?

5. You are a manager in a company. You notice that some of your employees complete their workload faster than expected. If senior management finds out, they will require you to increase the production quota. However, you also have employees who can barely meet the current workload on time. What would you do in this situation?

6. You are the organization’s Chief Financial Officer. You know that the Chief Executive Officer and other senior leaders plan to inflate figures in the financial reports to maintain the company’s share price. Many of the shares are owned by members of the senior leadership team. What would you do in this situation?

7. You are the chief accountant in an organization. Two new employees (recent graduates) have joined your department. During work hours, they often browse the internet or use their phones. At the end of the month, when financial statements are prepared, overtime work is often required. The new employees refuse to work overtime, and the extra duties fall on the rest of the department. Other staff are upset and angry. What would you do in this situation?

8. You are the director of a local food cooperative. You are told that one of the cooperative members has been caught attempting to steal. This person is a single parent with four children and tried to take food from the warehouse worth a total of $30. You suspect this is probably not the first time and that this person has been stealing for many years. You are considering contacting the police. What would you do in this situation?

9. You are accused of favoring one gender in hiring and discriminating against the other. A new position opens in the company, and you have two candidates in mind—one of each gender. One candidate is less qualified but belongs to the gender you are accused of discriminating against. Choosing this person could realistically help you clear the accusations and improve your reputation. What would you do in this situation?

10. You are a university professor. One of your top students submits an essay you discover was purchased online. A few months later, the student begins to feel guilty and comes to you to confess. Under university rules, plagiarism results in an automatic failing grade. In this situation, however, the decision is yours. What would you do?