How Ethical Leadership Limits Organizational Deviance, and Promotes Organizational Citizenship Behavior: A Mediatory Role of Affective Commitment Complemented by Ethical Conviction and Reputation for Performance.

Abstract

Despite numerous researches on ethical leadership, literature still lacks the researches on boundary conditions that limit its effectiveness. Thus, the present study examines the relationship between ethical leadership (EL) and organizational deviance via first-order mediation of affective commitment to the organization, as a reflection of the quality of the employee–organization relationship. Using Social learning & Exchange theories and group engagement models, we also examined the EL effect on Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) through organizational deviance as a second-order mediator. We also propose that this relationship is conditional on the supervisor’s reputation for performance (i.e., the moral standards are coupled with work effectiveness), and Perceived Leader Ethical Conviction. For the, we modified Neves and Story (2015) model to further extend to OCB while adding a moderator. OCB was measured in both Individual & organizational context. Empirical validity was established by conducting a survey using a close-ended questionnaire. Data was collected from 286 corporate employees from different sectors, working in Pakistan, and analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structured equation modeling. The results suggested that EL seems to exert a positive impact on Affective commitment, this would in turn have a negative effect on organizational deviance. Affective commitment also seems to have a positive effect on both OCB of individuals and organizations. Understandably, organizational deviance seems to be negatively affecting both OCBs. We also witnessed a positive complementary effect of Reputation for Performance in EL and affective commitment nexus. Hence, the positive relationship between ethical leadership and affective commitment is more pronounced when leaders have a high reputation for performance. Hence, results imply that organizations have to pay attention to the moral values and standards of supervisors and leaders, as they are significant role models due to their ability to reward or punish employees.