Abstract
The present study evaluates the psychometric properties of a German version of the Ethical Leadership at Work questionnaire (ELW-D), and further embeds the construct of ethical leadership within its nomological network. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) based on the total sample of N = 363 employees support the assumed seven-factor structure of the German translation. Within a sub-sample of N = 133, the ELW-D shows positive correlations with related leadership behaviors (transformational leadership, contingent reward, and servant leadership), and negative correlations with destructive ones (passive leadership, autocratic leadership, and abusive supervision), approving convergent validity of the scale. Comparisons of correlated correlation coefficients reveal restrictions of its discriminant validity. In support of the criterion-related validity (N = 100), the ELW-D relates to work-related attitudes (e.g., job satisfaction, satisfaction with the leader, trust in the leader) and follower behaviors (e.g., extra effort, organizational citizenship behavior) in the way expected. Besides, ELW-D-dimensions show incremental validity over and above the Ethical Leadership Scale, emphasizing the added value of this questionnaire.
Highlights
After several scandals within the world economy, ethics has become an important topic for organizations
To evaluate the model fit we considered the χ 2-value divided by the degrees of freedom (χ 2/df ), the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA), the Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), the Comparative Fit Index (CFI), and the Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR)
To examine the factor structure of the Ethical Leadership at Work questionnaire (ELW)-D more closely, we further assessed whether factor loadings varied across the different subsamples
Summary
After several scandals within the world economy, ethics has become an important topic for organizations. As companies suffer costly losses of reputation if they get caught in unethical conduct (Karpoff et al, 2008), and people prefer employers characterized by an ethical culture (Keith et al, 2003), organizations have to develop such guidelines, and have to ensure employees behave . Initial cross-cultural comparisons exist (Eisenbeiß, 2012; Eisenbeiß and Brodbeck, 2013), Validation of the ELW-D research needs to be broadened to develop a complete picture of ethical leadership and its universally endorsed or culturespecific facets. To expand cross-cultural comparisons and to promote research in Germany, a psychometrically sound German measure that thoroughly covers the construct is urgently needed. Translating the multi-dimensional Ethical Leadership at Work questionnaire (ELW) by Kalshoven et al (2011a), we aimed to provide a comprehensive and valid multi-faceted German scale. We extended the constructs considered by Kalshoven et al (2011a) and refined their analyses
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