Ethical Decisions of Leaders in Sustainable Investing to Promote Sustainable Development

Abstract

Sustainability has become an essential topic of discussions in the business community. Business leaders play a significant role in forming corporate strategy, leading to investment decisions and establishing a sustainable investment portfolio. This study leverages a unique method to study a global phenomenon by using social media data to identify reasons for investment decision. Qualitative research relies on several methods to collect data. The main methods include observation, interview, focus group, and document analysis. Each method brings pros and cons, especially when considering contextual constrains of the research such as geographical coverage, familiarity to the method and availability of participant/informant, as well as the selected research tradition and philosophical assumptions. The study finds that Intellectual Stimulation is the dominant characteristic under the Transformational Leadership theory demonstrated by the leaders, while upholding commitment is proposed as an addition to the Transformational Leadership component listed in the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire There are four reasons for SI decision, i.e., climate change, stakeholders' demand alignment, risk-performance consideration, and value alignment.