The Relationship between Ethical Leadership and Followers' Voice: A Moderated-Mediated Model

Abstract

Past research studies have proven the relationship between ethical leadership and several constructive follower outcomes particularly their voice behavior (i.e., an extra role behavior and contextual performance). Further, follower relational identification to leader has been shown to mediate the relationship between ethical leadership and follower's voice. This study has incorporated a different and research-wise crucial kind of relevant contextual process, follower power distance orientation, and examine its moderating effect on the relationship between ethical leadership and follower voice outcome. We bring follower power distance orientation to the literature of behavioral ethics and explore its role as a moderator. Using a Pakistani sample of 397 followers working under the administrative control of 35 supervisors, and conform that ethical leadership indirectly influences follower constructive discretionary feedback i.e., voice (via the mediating mechanism of follower’s relational identification to leader). Further, we found that the direct relationship between ethical leadership and follower's voice strengthens by follower’s power distance perception. The direct relationship between ethical leadership and follower's voice is stronger for those followers possessing high power distance cultural beliefs and weaker for those possessing low power distance cultural beliefs. Thus, when follower power distance belief is higher, ethical leadership employ stronger influence on their discretionary constructive feedback i.e., positive voice. Keywords: Ethical Leadership, Voice Behavior, Relational Identification, Power Distance Orientation, Pakistan.