The Face of Morality: Powerful Chief Executive Officers' (CEOs') Facial Characteristics and Moral Foundations

• Published in: Evolutionary behavioral sciences 2024-01, Vol.18 (1), p.26-40
• Main Authors: Kong, Dejun Tony, Chiu, Shih-chi (Sana), Christopoulos, George I.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Androgens; Business Organizations; Chief executives; Dominance; Face; Facial Features; Female; Human; Human rights; Interpersonal Control; Leadership; Loyalty; Male; Morality; Phenotypes; Physical characteristics; Power; Prioritizing; Social Dominance; Social roles; Symmetry; Top Level Managers; Welfare; Width
• ISSN: 2330-2925; 2330-2933
• DOI: 10.1037/ebs0000303

The present study examines the moral aspects of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs). We focus on two fundamental moral foundations-binding (prioritizing group loyalty and authority) and individualizing (prioritizing individual rights and welfare). Based on 10-year data of U.S. CEOs from S&P 500 firms, we found that only among high-power CEOs, binding foundations are predicted by the facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR; an androgen-sensitive phenotype associated with social dominance), but not by facial symmetry (fS; a phenotype associated with social concern), whereas individualizing foundations are predicted by fS but not by fWHR. Our findings suggest that CEOs' moral foundations are characteristic adaptations, varying upon genetic predispositions contextualized in their social roles (positional power). Given the potentially significant influence of executives' morality on various firm stakeholders, the economy, and society, we shed light on the strategic leadership literature by identifying important predictors of CEOs' moral foundations. Public Significance StatementThis study provides insights into Chief Executive Officers' (CEOs') expressed moral foundations as a joint function of their facial characteristics and positional power (dual roles of CEO and board chair vs. just the role of CEO). We found that high-power CEOs with a higher facial width-to-height ratio tend to express binding moral foundations linked to group loyalty and authority to a greater extent. In comparison, high-power CEOs with higher facial symmetry tend to express individualizing moral foundations linked to individual rights and welfare to a greater extent. These findings help advance our understanding of the biological and social bases of CEOs' moral expressions in their public communication to stakeholders and shed light on executive leaders' potential moral influence on their firm's stakeholders and society at large.