Ethical Leadership Behavior Research Articles

The challenge of toxic leadership in realising Sustainable Development Goals: A scoping review

Orientation: Best human resource management (HRM) practices can play a crucial role in addressing unethical leadership in the form of toxic leadership by fostering organisational cultures where trust, integrity, and accountability are prioritised.Research purpose: The paper addresses how the HRM function can contribute to eliminating toxic leadership and its associated norms and thereby meet the objectives of Sustainable Development Goals 8 and 16.Motivation for the study: The prevalence of toxic leadership and the extent of the detrimental consequences for employees and organisational functioning is a key challenge in realising SDGs 8 and 16.Research approach/design and method: To conduct the scoping review, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed, and selected databases were searched for peer reviewed empirical articles between 2014 and 2024. Results were summarised and thematically categorised with regard to the objectives of the paper.Main findings: Ethical leadership behaviours are presented as a key mechanism for offsetting the impact of toxic behaviours of organisational leaders. In order to achieve SDGs 8 and 16, the support and commitment from HRM practitioners are essential.Practical/managerial implications: Promoting ethical leadership and a conducive work environment demands attention in the following five areas of HRM practice: recruitment and selection; training and development; performance management; employee engagement and wellbeing; and organisational culture.Contribution/value-add: The review of existing literature on toxic leadership offers a succinct summary of different mechanisms and strategies that can be employed to counter these forms of leadership behaviours in organisations.

A Categorical Framework of Ethical Leadership for Public Organizations: Testing a Multi-Dimensional Model of Local Government Managers

Organizational managers serve as ethical role models in their capacity as leaders. Mainstream research on ethics leadership is multidisciplinary, although empirical research is dominated by business administration and psychology scholars with less empirical work in public administration. This article develops and tests a categorical framework for ethical leadership behavior by applying it to data from a national survey of Chief Administrative Officers (CAO) of local governments in the United States. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) is used to test six dimensions of ethical leadership behavior and support is found for the model. This research is novel since it extends the ethical leadership research in business administration and psychology to local government managers and by extension, to public managers in general.

Leadership, management, and team practices in research labs: Development and validation of two new measures.

Effective leadership and management practices contribute to responsible, high-quality research and the well-being of team members. We describe the development and initial validation of a measure assessing principal investigators' leadership and management practices and a measure of research team practices. Using a cross-sectional survey design, 570 postdoctoral researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health reported on the perceived behaviors of their principal investigator (PI) and the research team. The PI leadership and management items factored into two dimensions: fostering relationships and directing research. Correlations of these new scales with existing, validated measures of ethical leadership and general leader behavior provided evidence of convergent validity. Providing evidence for criterion-related validity, scores on the new measures predicted lab climate for research ethics, self-reported productivity, and job satisfaction. Research team practices provided additional predictive value beyond leadership and management behaviors. This study provides construct validity evidence for the new Leadership and Management in Science (LAMPS) Measure and the Research Team Practices (RTP) Measure. Qualitative responses to an open-ended item reinforced the importance of relationships and directive supervision for a positive environment. These measures can be useful tools for future research or may be useful for PIs seeking feedback about their practices.

The Effect of Ethical Leadership on Innovative Work Behaviors: A Mediating–Moderating Model of Psychological Empowerment, Job Crafting, Proactive Personality, and Person–Organization Fit

The study assesses a model designed to investigate the mediating impact of psychological empowerment, job crafting, and proactive personality, and to examine the moderating influence of person–organization fit on the relationship between ethical leadership and employee innovative behavior. A sample of 782 full-time employees from various industries in Jordan were surveyed to gather data on ethical leadership, innovative work behaviors, psychological empowerment, job crafting, proactive personality, and person–organization fit. The study employed an empirical research design, with data collected through surveys. The results reveal a positive correlation between ethical leadership and innovative work behavior, with psychological empowerment, job crafting, and proactive personality as the mediators in this relationship. The link between ethical leadership and innovation work behaviors is also moderated by person–organization fit. The study’s model suggests that ethical leadership practices enhance innovation. Prioritizing ethical principles, transparency, fairness, trust, and accountability cultivates a culture valuing ethics and encouraging innovation. The results provide insights to boost empowerment and proactive behaviors and highlight the importance of a person–organization fit that aligns values for an innovation-friendly workplace. Fit considerations should also be incorporated in recruitment and retention processes. The study makes significant theoretical contributions by synthesizing insights from ethical leadership theory and developing a comprehensive framework to understand how ethical leadership influences innovative work behavior. The research also extends prior work by examining the moderating role of person–organization fit by emphasizing the importance of aligning individual and organizational values in fostering innovation.

Linking ethical leadership to nurses' internal whistleblowing through psychological safety.

Background: Cultivating internal whistleblowing among nurses is of paramount importance to nurse leaders. Yet, the literature on how nurse leaders can foster this phenomenon among nurses is limited. Additionally, the underlying mechanisms linking leadership behaviors to internal whistleblowing intentions remain underexplored.Aim: This study aimed to examine how ethical leadership is linked to internal whistleblowing intentions among nurses through the mediating effect of psychological safety.Research design: A multicenter cross-sectional research design was used for this study.Participants and research context: This study involved 201 nurses working in three tertiary governmental hospitals across three cities in Egypt. Data were collected between October and December 2023, using an introductory information form, the Ethical Leadership Scale, the Psychological Safety Scale, and the Internal Whistleblowing Intentions Scale. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate study hypotheses.Ethical consideration: Research Ethics Committee of Faculty of Nursing, Port Said University, Egypt approved the study (reference number: NUR (6/8/2023)(28)), and each participant signed the informed consent form before participation in the study.Results: Ethical leadership was positively linked to nurses' psychological safety and internal whistleblowing intentions. Psychological safety mediated the link between ethical leadership and nurses' internal whistleblowing intentions.Conclusion: Our study suggests that nurse leaders can foster nurses' intentions to blow the whistle internally by adopting ethical leadership behaviors and enhancing psychological safety among nurses.

A Meta-Analytic Study of Ethical Leadership and Employee Unethical Behaviors

A Meta-Analytic Study of Ethical Leadership and Employee Unethical Behaviors

Ethical leadership, employees’ job satisfaction and job stress in the restaurant industry

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate how employees’ perception of the ethical conduct of their leaders affects their level of job stress and job satisfaction in the restaurant industry, specifically in the context of Pakistan. Therefore, this research investigated the relationship between ethical leadership and job satisfaction, and job stress as a mediator between ethical leadership and job satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachThis research is based on a quantitative method, employed a survey strategy, utilized a cross-sectional research design, and data was collected using a convenient sampling technique. In all, 236 questionnaires from the front-line employees of the restaurants were used for data analysis. Initially, normality (univariate and multivariate), demographic description, descriptive analysis and common method bias were computed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS v23) software. Moreover, direct and indirect effects were conducted using SmartPLS v3 software.FindingsResults of this research indicate a (i) negative relationship between ethical leadership and job stress, (ii) positive relationship between ethical leadership and job satisfaction, (iii) negative relationship between job stress and job satisfaction and (iv) job stress play a mediating role in the relationship between ethical leadership and job satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsThis study highlights several theoretical and practical implications, thereby providing more insight into how job satisfaction can be maximized in the restaurants of Pakistan.Originality/valueThis research is novel, as it highlights the direct and indirect effect of ethical leadership behavior on job satisfaction, specifically in the context of the restaurants of Pakistan.

Does Organizational Commitment, Ethical Leadership And Ethical Climate Affect On Deviant Behavior In The Workplace?

Nowadays, ethical issues in organizations are an interesting topic to discuss, especially for the problem of deviant behavior. Therefore, this issue is a major concern in the field of organization and business. Deviant behavior will have negative implications for individuals, groups, and organizations which encourages practitioners and academics to pay more attention to ethical management. The paper explores the relationship between ethical leadership, ethical climate, organizational commitment, and deviant behavior. The respondent of this research are employees of PT. Japfa Comfeed Indonesia . The study measures ethical climate using 5 indicators with 26 statement items sourced from Cullen (1993), organizational commitment using 3 indicators with 18 statement items sourced from Meyer, Allen, and Smith (1993), and ethical leadership using 10 indicators with 15 statement items sourced from Yulk (2010). The data collection method used in the research is a questionnaire sent via Google Form. Data analysis using the Partial Least Square (PLS) approach using the help of the SmartPLS program. Overall, the study suggests that promoting ethical leadership and creating a positive ethical climate can enhance organizational commitment and reduce deviant behavior at PT. Japfa Comfeed Indonesia.

Ethical Leadership and Counterproductive Work Behavior: The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction

Intense competition among public institutions underscores the need for effective human resource management. This study investigates Counterproductive Work Behavior (CWB), a concern for academics, professionals, and policymakers. CWB, a response to workplace dissatisfaction, is examined among 121 permanent nurses at Pandan Arang Hospital. Findings show that ethical leadership is negatively associated with CWB and positively linked to job satisfaction, which fully mediates the relationship between ethical leadership and CWB. The study contributes theoretically by advancing understanding of how ethical leadership influences CWB via job satisfaction, offering practical implications for organizations aiming to reduce CWB and promote ethical leadership practices.

Ethical leadership and employee behavior. Scientometric analysis in scientific production

This scientometric study seeks to analyze scientific articles on ethical business leadership from a social-scientific perspective, considering its relationship or influence with the different behaviors of workers. Using the VOSWiever program, an analysis is carried out on 1000 articles published in Web of Science (WoS) journals from 1987 to May 2023. The results show the five main contributing countries, these being: China, the United States, England, Canada, and Pakistan and the year 2022 will be the year of greatest scientific production. There are no records of studies in Latin America; however, scientific production is found in academic sites in Venezuela, Chile, Ecuador, and Argentina. Using the Laws of Lotka, Price, and the Bradford model, the most prolific authors and the productivity of countries and magazines are discovered. Using Zipf's law and the Hirsch index, the most frequent keywords and the best-known articles are revealed. The article has sought to contribute to the eighth goal of sustainable development (SDG), that is, with the study of ethical leaders who model behaviors that favor economic growth, work well-being, and sustainability of their organizations. For future research, it is suggested that specific effects produced by this leadership as a mediator related to job performance in Latin companies be examined.

Ethical Leadership, Ethical Culture, Voice Behaviour, and Employee Performance

Employees are required to maintain positive interactions with one another in the workplace. This study advances the conversation of ethical leadership and ethical culture on employee performance, with voice behavior as a mediator. This study distributed 350 questionnaires to construction company employees in Bantul, Indonesia, and obtained a 153-response rate (43.71%). Structural equation modeling with Amos software is used to analyze the coded information. This study found a substantial link between ethical leadership, ethical culture, and voice behavior in increasing employee performance. Furthermore, voice behavior was discovered to mediate in both relationships. The finding implies a critical need to maintain positive conversations inside firms as they are part of job satisfaction indicators.

Unpacking the relationship between ethical leadership and innovative work behavior: A moderated mediation model

This study delves into the significant role of innovative work behavior among bankers in achieving competitive superiority and addressing contemporary business needs. It uncovers a research gap in understanding the influence of bankers’ innovative work behaviors and the factors driving these behaviors. This study proposes to examine ethical leadership’s direct and indirect effects on innovative work behavior through the mediating role of bankers’ resilience and the moderating role of a manager’s gender. The study collected perceptual cross-sectional data from employees across Thailand’s ten largest commercial banks via self-administered questionnaires, analyzing 960 responses using structural equation modeling. Anchored in social learning theory, the study’s regression analysis found significant positive effects of ethical leadership on bankers’ innovative work behavior (B = 0.197, p < 0.001), ethical leadership on bankers’ resilience (B = 0.388, p < 0.001), and bankers’ resilience on their innovative work behavior (B = 0.649, p < 0.001). Furthermore, it identified that bankers’ resilience mediates the relationship between ethical leadership and innovative work behavior (B = 0.240, p < 0.05), with the gender of leaders moderating the impact of ethical leadership on innovation. These findings suggest that banks can enhance their competitive edge by fostering ethical leadership and resilience, highlighting the strategic importance of these factors in promoting innovation within the banking sector.

Leader ethical voice and subordinate job performance: the chain mediating role of subordinate identification with leader and leader-member exchange.

Ethical voice is a valuable ethical behavior that enables organizations to promptly recognize and rectify unethical issues and practices, thus preventing severe dilemmas and crises. Despite its importance, the extant literature has yet to fully explore the impact of a leader's ethical voice on subordinate outcomes. This study bridges this gap by integrating social identity theory and social exchange theory to scrutinize the process by which a leader's ethical voice affects subordinate task performance. We employ a serial mediation model to explore the mechanisms by which a leader's ethical voice enhances subordinates' task performance. Our theoretical framework is empirically validated using a dataset that includes 449 subordinate-leader pairings from Chinese enterprises. The survey results demonstrate that a leader's ethical voice has a significant positive impact on subordinate task performance. Subordinate identification with leader and leader-member exchange not only individually mediate the effects of a leader's ethical voice on subordinate task behavior but also jointly serve as a chain-mediated mechanism in the influence of a leader's ethical voice on subordinate task behavior. These findings illuminate the substantial effects that ethical leadership behaviors exert on employee performance and offer fresh perspectives on the intricate dynamics that govern this influence.

Mitigating Job Burnout in Jordanian Public Healthcare: The Interplay between Ethical Leadership, Organizational Climate, and Role Overload.

In today's dynamic organizational landscape, characterized by rapid technological advancements and evolving workplace dynamics, understanding the factors influencing employee well-being is paramount. This study investigates the interplay between ethical leadership, organizational climate, role overload, and job burnout in public healthcare organizations across northern Jordan. By focusing on ethical leadership, organizational climate, and role overload as determinants of job burnout, this research provides insights into strategies for enhancing employee well-being. Drawing on ethical leadership theory, social exchange theory, and the job demands-resources model, this study employs PLS-SEM to analyze data collected from 260 employees working in Jordanian government hospitals. The findings reveal negative associations between ethical leadership and job burnout, highlighting the importance of ethical leadership behaviors in mitigating employee burnout. Additionally, a positive organizational climate is associated with lower levels of burnout, underscoring the impact of the broader organizational context on employee well-being. The study also explores the mediating role of organizational climate and the moderating effect of role overload in the relationship between ethical leadership and job burnout, providing insights into the complex dynamics at play in healthcare organizations. These findings enrich our understanding of the factors influencing employee well-being in healthcare contexts and underscore the importance of fostering ethical leadership and supportive organizational climates to mitigate job burnout.

The Impact of Ethical Leadership on Innovative Work Behavior: The Role of Perceived Organizational Support, Proactive Personality and Psychological Safety

This study aimed to examine the effects of moderation of perceptions of organizational support and proactive personality as well as psychological safety mediation in the influence of ethical leadership on innovative work behavior. Data analysis was carried out using the Partial Least Square (PLS) method using SmartPLS software version 4 on 195 employees at Bagas Waras Klaten Hospital. The results of this study show a direct and significant influence between ethical leadership and innovative work behavior and perceptions of organizational support, and ethical leadership encourages innovative work behavior mediated by psychological safety. Perceptions of organizational support moderate the relationship between ethical leadership and innovative work behavior. However, in this study, proactive personalities were found not to moderate the influence of ethical leadership on innovative work behavior.

THE EFFECTS OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS' ETHICAL LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS ON TEACHERS' JOB SATISFACTION

In this research, the effect of school administrators' ethical leadership behaviors on teachers' job satisfaction was examined. The research was carried out with quantitative methods. Findings were collected through survey forms. The sample consists of 799 teachers. Data analyzes were carried out using multiple linear regression test on SPSS program. The study found that the ethical leadership behaviors of school administrators explained a significant part of teachers' job satisfaction. However, it was determined that only the climatic leadership sub-dimension of ethical leadership had a positive and significant effect on teachers' job satisfaction. It was concluded that when the climate leadership behaviors of school administrators increase, teachers' job satisfaction will also increase.

Ethical Leadership and Employee Knowledge Sharing With a Mediation Role Employee Moral Identity

This study investigates the direct and indirect correlation between ethical leadership and lecturers' knowledge-sharing experiences through the mechanism of moral identity. A quantitative approach was used in this research, involving 95 respondents who were permanent lecturers at Lancang Kuning University. Research findings show that ethical leadership is positively related to the act of sharing knowledge, both directly and through moral identity. In addition, the results also show that ethical leadership is positively related to moral identity, while moral identity itself is positively correlated with knowledge sharing. This study also found that moral identity acts as a mediator in the influence of ethical leadership on knowledge-sharing behavior. This research highlights that ethical leadership, which reflects personality, honesty, reliability, and high morality and understands its impact on others, can model behavior and shape employees' moral construction through moral identity. In essence, this research contributes to the expanding body of literature on organizational behavior by shedding light on the intricate dynamics between ethical leadership, moral identity, and knowledge-sharing behaviors among lecturers. Furthermore, it underscores the practical implications for educational institutions seeking to foster a culture of knowledge-sharing and ethical leadership within their academic community.

Testing the waters! The role of ethical leadership towards innovative work behavior through psychosocial well-being and perceived organizational support

PurposeIn response to the dynamic demands of the contemporary business landscape, this study critically examines the pivotal role of ethical leadership in shaping employee’s innovative behavior within organizations. Our research delves into the nuanced interplay between ethical leadership, psychological well-being and innovative work behavior. Drawing from the principles of social exchange theory, our study addresses a critical gap in the literature by exploring the mediating role of psychological well-being in the relationship between ethical leadership and employees' innovative work behavior.Design/methodology/approachIn this quantitative research, data were collected from 384 employees and their direct supervisors in Pakistan’s IT sector using “Google Forms” through a convenience sampling method facilitated by the “LinkedIn” platform. Additionally, the study applied a two-stage structural equation modeling approach, first to assess the uni-dimensionality, and subsequently, to evaluate the proposed hypotheses.FindingsThe research results unveiled a robust and positive impact of ethical leadership on innovative work behavior, operating through both direct and indirect pathways mediated by psychological well-being. Intriguingly, the moderating role of perceived organizational support adds depth to our understanding, revealing nuanced conditions under which ethical leadership influences employees' well-being and, subsequently, their innovative contributions.Practical implicationsBeyond theoretical contributions, our study provides practical insights for managers seeking to leverage employees' innovative work behavior for organizational success. By emphasizing ethical leadership as a catalyst, we advocate for its integration into HRM practices. However, recognizing the contextual nature of organizational support, our findings underscore the importance of adaptable leadership strategies to maximize positive outcomes.Originality/valueGrounded in the principles of social exchange theory, this research marks a pioneering effort to shed light on the link between ethical leadership and innovative work behavior through the mediation of psychological well-being. Additionally, this study makes a valuable contribution to the current body of knowledge by investigating the contingent influence of perceived organizational support on the relationship between ethical leadership and employees' psychological well-being.

Predictors of Reducing Workplace Deviant Behavior Among Employees of Islamic Educational Institutions

This study uses a range of variables that can affect the likelihood of deviant conduct among employees in the workplace to contribute to workplace deviance. This study aims to investigate, using Social Exchange Theory as a framework, the effects of Workplace Deviant Behavior on Organizational Commitment, Workplace Spirituality, Ethical Leadership, Organizational Justice, and Job Satisfaction. This research is a quantitative research using the sample quota technique used as a non-random sample method based on the quota set by the researcher. This study had 432 respondents, with 216 employees from 3 Islamic Universities in Purwokerto City calculated with regard to a 5% margin of error when applying the Slovin formulaand the results reached 208 people. In this study, hardfile and softfile questionnaire questionnaires (Google fromulir) were used in research sampling. Data collection using Likert scale-based questionnaire, then data tested using Smart PLS Application. The results showed that although Organizational Commitment and Woekplace Spirituality showed a direct negative influence, it was not significant on Workplace Deviant Behavior. Conversely, Workplace Deviant Behavior is negatively but significantly influenced by Organizational Justice and Job Satisfaction. Furthermore, there is a minor but favorable correlation between ethical leadership and workplace deviant behavior.

Construed Organizational Ethical Climate and Whistleblowing Behavior: The Moderated Mediation Effect of Person-Organization Value Congruence and Ethical Leader Behavior.

An organizational ethical climate enhances the degree of collaboration and cohesion among employees and facilitates the development and interests of organizations. Such roles lead to organizational sustainable development and survival. Therefore, the importance of ethical climate in organizations is becoming increasingly apparent. In this background, this study aims to explore whether an organizational ethical climate can improve whistleblowing behavior and the mediating role of organizational identification in promoting whistleblowing behavior. Most previous studies have only focused on the mediating or moderating role of the model. This study expands the research field, adds the dual moderation of person-organization value congruence and leader ethical behavior, and verifies two moderated mediation models. Overall, the purpose of this study is to determine the behavior of employees under the influence of an organizational ethical climate and, on this basis, propose suggestions for strengthening organizational ethical climate, expanding the scope of research on organizational climate and providing a theoretical basis for related research. In order to achieve the research goals, the data were collected from 344 Chinese SMEs for empirical analysis. The results showed that an organizational ethical climate has no direct impact on whistleblowing behavior but could have a positive effect on whistleblowing formation through the mediating variable of organizational identification. In addition, person-organization value congruence and leader ethical behavior significantly moderated the mediating role of organizational identification between organizational ethical climate and whistleblowing behavior. Finally, the directions that can contribute to future research were suggested.