ETHICS OF EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP IN THE DIGITAL ERA

Abstract

This academic article aims to analyze the ethics of executives in the digital age with a specific focus on the Thai context, which is undergoing a significant transition toward digital governance across both public and private sectors. While this transformation offers substantial opportunities for development, it simultaneously introduces complex ethical challenges that demand a contemporary conceptual framework. Executives in the modern era are thus required to possess not only technological and managerial competencies but also a strong ethical foundation, enabling them to make decisions in data-intensive, high-speed, and high-risk environments. The article explores the ethical dimensions of executive leadership across six key aspects: 1. an introductory background and problem statement, 2 emerging ethical issues in both Thai public and private sectors, 3. relevant concepts and theories such as ethical theories, ethical leadership, and principles of good governance, 4 the evolving roles and competencies of executives in the digital era, 5. Policy recommendations for fostering ethical governance, and 6. a synthesis of new knowledge introducing the Digital Ethical Leadership framework. This framework comprises four core dimensions: personal virtue, digital and ethical literacy, organizational governance, and social responsibility in the digital context. The findings contribute practical policy implications for implementation at both organizational and governmental levels, aiming to elevate ethical standards within Thai society. Moreover, the article offers a conceptual foundation for future empirical research and serves as a reference for establishing new ethical standards for Thai executives in the 21st century.