According to a recent study, a small but growing proportion of the workforce is affected to some degree by a sense of entitlement. Work is less about what they can contribute but more about what they can take. It can lead to workplace dysfunction and diminish their own job satisfaction. I’m not referring to employees who are legitimately dissatisfied with their employment conditions due to, say, being denied fair pay or flexible work practices. I’m talking about those who consistently believe they deserve special treatment and generous rewards. It’s an expectation that exists irrespective of their abilities or levels of performance.

        As a result of that discrepancy between the privileges they feel they’re owed and their inflated sense of self-worth, they don’t work as hard for their employer. They prefer instead to slack off. It’s a tendency which many scholars believe begins in childhood due to parents who overindulge their kids. This thereby leads them to expect the same kind of spoilt treatment throughout their adult lives. And yet despite how these employees feel, it’s obviously important for their manager to nonetheless find out how to keep them motivated. And, by virtue of that heightened motivation, to perform well.

        The research team from several American universities surveyed more than 240 individuals. They sampled managers as well as team members. Employee entitlement was measured by statements such as “I honestly feel I’m just more deserving than others”. The respondents had to rate the extent of their agreement. Employee engagement, meanwhile, was assessed with statements like “I really throw myself into my work.” The findings revealed ethical leadership is precisely what alleviates the negative effects of employee entitlement. That’s because rather than indulging employees or neglecting them, ethical leaders communicate very direct and clear expectations. They also hold employees accountable for their behaviors and are genuinely committed to doing the right thing. Additionally, these leaders are consistent in their standards. They’re also less likely to deviate in how they treat employees.

        This means, when confronted by an entitled team member, an ethical leader is significantly disinclined to accommodate their demands. He or she will instead point out, constructively and tactfully, exactly how their inflated sense of deservingness is somewhat distorted. They’d then go further to explain the specific, and objective, criteria the employee must meet to receive their desired rewards. This shift away from unrealistic expectations is successful because entitled employees feel more confident that ethical leaders will deliver on their promises. This occurs because they’re perceived to be fair and trustworthy. The researchers, however, exercise caution by warning no one single response in the perfect remedy. But there’s no denying ethical leadership is at least a critical step in the right direction.

解析：B。根据a growing number of workers可定位至第一段第一句。该句提到，根据最近的一项研究，一小部分劳动者（但这一数量仍在持续增长）在一定程度上受到了特权感的影响。接着对“特权感”进行解释：工作对于他们而言，不在于能贡献什么，而在于能获得什么。第三句指出这会导致他们的工作满意度降低，第五句又进一步说明这一人群一贯认为自己应该得到特殊待遇和丰厚奖励。由此可知，这一人群受特权感的影响而对工作不满，认为自己应该得到更多，B项符合题意，故正确。

错项排除：第一段第二句提到，工作对于他们而言，不在于能贡献什么，而在于能获得什么，A项的make more contributions与此内容相悖，故排除。C项利用第一段第三句的job satisfaction进行干扰，但attach importance to在文中无依据，故C项排除。D项利用第一段第三句的diminish和workplace dysfunction进行拼凑，但原文说的是有特权感的员工容易出现问题，D项与原文不符，故排除。