Ethical leadership in tourism and hospitality management: A systematic literature review and research agenda

Abstract

This study reviews the empirical research on ethical leadership, which is an important and relevant leadership construct in tourism and hospitality contexts. A rigorous and systematic search process based on transparent inclusion and exclusion criteria yielded a sample of 33 empirical studies. The analysis and synthesis of these studies revealed that (a) there is a high consistency in defining and measuring ethical leadership in tourism and hospitality; (b) social exchange theory, social learning theory and conservation of resources theory were the most frequently used theoretical lenses to investigate ethical leadership; (c) all studies in the sample were quantitative; no qualitative studies were found; and (d) ethical leadership affected various employee attitudes and behaviors and team and organizational outcomes. An integrated framework for ethical leadership research in tourism and hospitality settings was provided based on these findings. We also provided several research implications for future studies and managerial implications for tourism and hospitality firms to effectively promote ethical leadership at workplace.