Ethical Leadership Research Articles

A Study of Cultural Diversity and Ethical Climate towards Employee Selection in Higher Education Institutions

This study investigates the critical role of employee selection processes in organisational success, focusing on the impact of cultural diversity (CD) and ethical climate (EC) within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Northern Malaysia. Employing a quantitative methodology and a descriptive research design, data were collected from academic staff through a structured questionnaire. The analysis using SPSS software reveals strong positive correlations among employee selection, CD, and EC. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure and Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity confirm the data's suitability for factor analysis, while Cronbach’s alpha coefficients indicate robust internal consistency. The findings underscore the importance of aligning employee selection processes with organisational strategies and values to attract competent employees. Additionally, effective management of CD enhances financial performance, competitive advantage, and profitability. An EC significantly promotes ethical behaviour, job satisfaction, and organisational performance. The study highlights practical implications for integrating diversity and ethical considerations into selection strategies, providing valuable insights for human resource management and organisational behaviour. The research emphasises the need for a holistic approach to talent acquisition by demonstrating how selection practices influence organisational outcomes. This approach fosters inclusivity and ethical leadership, ultimately contributing to long-term organisational success. These findings comprehensively understand employee selection, CD, and EC dynamics in enhancing institutional effectiveness and achieving strategic goals in HEI settings.

The Relationship Between Ethical Leadership and Emotional Exhaustion in a Virtual Work Environment: A Moderated Mediation Model

The role of ethical leadership in virtual settings is not yet clearly defined, but it may be the key to addressing employees’ emotional exhaustion. In addition, to prevent emotional exhaustion, it is important to determine the role of work autonomy and teleworking intensity. The present research examined how and when ethical leadership influences emotional exhaustion through work autonomy and teleworking intensity. Data collected from 448 workers in the Colombian electrical sector were analyzed using a SEM moderated mediation model. The results indicate a positive relationship between ethical leadership and emotional exhaustion mediated by work autonomy. The results also show that teleworking intensity moderates the mediation process. Specifically, the positive impact of ethical leadership on emotional exhaustion stopped when teleworking intensity was high. Likewise, high teleworking intensity intensified the positive relationship between ethical leadership and work autonomy. Finally, high teleworking intensity dampened the positive relationship between work autonomy and emotional exhaustion. In conclusion, working virtually five days a week is a strategy that amplifies the leader-member relationship and becomes an advantage to effectively combat emotional exhaustion. The results obtained in this research are particularly relevant because they show for the first time that ethical leadership can have opposite effects on employees’ emotional exhaustion, both positive and negative, depending on the number of days teleworked, thus contributing to a new understanding of the characteristics of the ethical leader in a virtual environment.

A new approach to business ethics education: Virtual reality-based flipped learning

Paying attention to business ethics and educating ethical leaders and employees can impact organizational performance. Effective professional ethics education and learning can prevent administrative corruption, embezzlement and fraud in organizations. On the other hand, the development of digital technologies has created transformations in educational processes and methods. Evaluating the effectiveness of innovative teaching methods will greatly help the learning process of individuals and educational planning of business schools. Flipped learning is an educational approach in which students learn about course content before class. Accordingly, the aim of this research is to evaluate the impact of virtual reality (VR)-based flipped learning compared to the traditional method of teaching business ethics. This study was applied and quasi-experimental. Among business students of Shiraz University, 135 people were randomly divided into three groups. The first experimental group underwent training with the flipped learning method based on VR and the second experimental group underwent training with the traditional method and the third group was the control group. The control group didn't receive training and was selected only for the purpose of comparison with experimental groups. Pretest and posttest designs were used and the results of the three groups were compared using the Tukey test. The results showed that the two groups that received business ethics education had a significant difference compared to the control group. An important finding of this study revealed that among the two teaching methods, VR-based flipped learning had a greater impact on students' business ethics compared to the traditional teacher-centered approach. Accordingly, university managers and business ethics course instructors can facilitate the learning process using VR-based flipped learning. Designing simulation software for ethical scenarios is also a suitable solution for teaching business ethics.

Bridging the gap: Ethical leadership, human resource practices and organisational justice

Orientation: Perceived organisational justice (POJ) and the role of human resource (HR) practices have been well documented, researched and argued. The role of leadership, and specifically the perception of ethical leadership in the relationship between HR practices and POJ has not been investigated, especially not in South Africa.Research purpose: This study aimed to determine the extent to which HRs practices influence POJ and the mediating role of ethical leadership, through a sectoral comparison.Motivation for the study: It is often, and rightfully, argued that the experience of HR practices determines employees’ perception of organisational justice; however, there is paucity in the perception of ethical leadership.Research approach/design and method: This study used a cross-sectional design and survey methodology. Convenience sampling resulted in 1184 respondents from 20 organisations in the South African private and public sectors.Main findings: A positive significant (p 0.05) relationship exists between HR practices and POJ, mediated by ethical leadership (mediation 32% for the private sector, 13% for the public sector and 21% for the combined sample).Practical/managerial implications: This research endeavour has the potential of empowering the leadership to propose concrete HRs strategies to cultivate proactive work behaviours influencing performance and competitiveness.Contribution/value-add: This study validated the ethical leadership and POJ instruments to be used with confidence in South Africa. It further emphasised the importance, not only of the perceptions of HR practices on the perception of organisational justice but also the role of leadership in this relationship, specifically ethical leadership.

Supplemental Material for Jekyll and Hyde Leadership: Examining the Direct and Vicarious Experiences of Abusive and Ethical Leadership Through a Justice Variability Lens

Supplemental Material for Jekyll and Hyde Leadership: Examining the Direct and Vicarious Experiences of Abusive and Ethical Leadership Through a Justice Variability Lens

Corruption in the Nigerian Public Sector: Causes, Consequences and Sustainable Solutions

Corruption in Nigeria's public sector has long hindered the nation's development, stability, and prosperity. It permeates various facets of governance and society, leading to detrimental consequences, including economic stagnation, social injustice, and the erosion of public trust. Historical factors, such as the legacy of colonial exploitation and successive post-independence governments' mismanagement, have entrenched a culture of corruption. Despite efforts to combat it, including the establishment of anti-corruption agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), corruption remains pervasive. This study adopts a qualitative research design to explore the complex dynamics of corruption in Nigeria's public sector. Using Albert Bandura's social learning theory as the theoretical framework, and it explores how corrupt behaviors are observed, imitated, and reinforced within the public administration. The research identifies multiple causes of corruption, including institutional weaknesses, economic pressures, and cultural norms, which create an environment conducive to corrupt practices. The consequences of corruption are enormous: It undermines economic growth and development, deters foreign direct investment, exacerbates poverty and inequality, erodes public trust in government, and fuels political unrest and instability. Addressing corruption requires a comprehensive approach involving the strengthening of institutional frameworks, promoting transparency and accountability, improving public sector management, and fostering a culture of ethical leadership. Sustainable solutions to combat corruption include; enhancing the capacities of anti-corruption agencies, to be independent of the executive body, implementing public procurement reforms, ensuring budget transparency, and enforcing stringent anti-corruption measures.

Ethical leadership and followers’ job crafting: the mediating role of followers’ role-breadth self-efficacy and work engagement

PurposeThe objective of this study was to investigate the link between ethical leadership and followers’ job crafting. Based on social learning theory and the job demands-resources model, we expected that followers’ role-breadth self-efficacy and work engagement would serially mediate the association between this leadership style and followers’ job crafting.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative analysis was conducted among a sample of 458 subordinates that assessed the ethical leadership of their direct supervisor and reported on their own role-breadth self-efficacy, engagement and job crafting behaviours.FindingsEthical leadership was positively associated with followers’ increasing structural resources, increasing social resources and increasing challenging demands. The mediation hypothesis was supported for increasing challenging demands but not for increasing social resources. Results unexpectedly suggested that the indirect positive effect suppresses the direct negative effect of ethical leadership on followers’ increasing structural resources, the total effect becoming positive. This leadership style was not associated with followers’ decreasing hindering demands.Practical implicationsThe research highlights the possibility that ethical leadership trainings may stimulate followers' job crafting.Originality/valueThe study explores for the first time the relationship between this leadership style and job crafting behaviours of subordinates and, moreover, provides an explanatory mechanism for the relationship between these variables.

Transforming leaders to transform hospitals. Cultivating ethical leadership for compassionate healthcare

The importance of compassionate care has been widely acknowledged in the literature as a crucial component for enhancing patient care, improving clinical outcomes, and reducing burnout, compassion fatigue, malpractice, and healthcare costs (Watts et al., 2023). However, many healthcare systems continue to struggle with effectively implementing and sustaining compassionate care practices due to the burden of administration, limitations in resources, and a focus on efficiency and profitability. The purpose of this paper is to advocate for the necessity of (re) “humanizing” the healthcare environment, which is urgently needed today to counteract the trend of eroding the value or essence of care practices by refocusing on the patient and their family. Specifically, this paper will argue that to reverse this trend, it is crucial to transform the education of healthcare facility leaders and managers at all levels. It is vital to provide them with guidelines and training that is not only technical but also ethical, with a focus on character education. This approach would enable them to recognize the right values and effectively address complex situations from a moral perspective. Providing leaders with the opportunity to flourish through dedicated programs can positively transform our hospitals and healthcare facilities. Such programs are essential for creating a balanced healthcare environment where efficiency and compassionate care coexist, leading to improved care outcomes, reduced costs, and enhanced well-being for professionals.

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.

The Intention To Blow The Whistle : Testing The Correlation Between Ethical Leadership And Retaliation In The Organization

This research helps explain the factors that influence a person's intention to do whistleblowing. This study examines the effect of retaliation (the treatment of revenge) and ethical leadership on the whistleblowing decisions of postgraduate students with masters of accounting at universities in Central Java. The novelty of our study is First, we fill in gaps in previous studies using students as the population; most studies use employees (such as auditors) as the main population.This study is considered to be the first micro-level analytical research in the area. Second, answering whether the ethical principles possessed by superiors influence employees to do whistleblowing. Questionnaires were administered privately, and respondents were convinced of retaliation, value orientation and whistleblowing intentions for data confidentiality and the anonymity of the respondent's identity. Testing the data in the study used the Partial Least Square (PLS) analysis tool.The primary research data used in the research were obtained through questionnaires. The results of the study show that: (1) Ethical Leadership has a positive and significant effect on the intention to do whistleblowing; (2) Retaliation or the threat of retaliation has a negative and significant effect on a person's intention to carry out a whistleblowing.

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.

Interventions for the promotion of the ethical environment among health professionals: Scoping review.

Education is a tool for the promotion of ethical skills that ensure the principles of conduct and the quality of care provided. The literature is still incipient in this theme; however, some studies point to education and ethical consultations as strategies to promote an ethical environment. To map the interventions that aim to prospect the ethical environment in health services. Scoping review to answer the question "What interventions are being used by health professionals to prospect an ethical environment in health services?" It occurred in the Medline (PubMed), CINAHL with Full Text (EBSCO), Scopus, Embase (Elsevier), and Web of Science databases in January 2023 by two reviewers, via the Rayyan platform. Articles with health professionals addressing interventions to prospect the ethical environment in any health service were included, without time frame. A form was used for data extraction and analysis occurred via Bardin content analysis. The review protocol was registered in the Open Science Framework. 2429 records were found; however, only 12 articles were included for analysis, these being randomized, cross-sectional, descriptive, and qualitative studies. Among the interventions, it was noticed that 58.3% (n = 7) is about ethical education, 16.7% (n = 2) about ethical guidelines and codes, 16.7% (n = 2) about ethical reflection and leadership, and 8.3% (n = 1) of ethical consultations. A theoretical map was elaborated, and four types of interventions were identified, based on ethical consultation, ethical education, guidelines and codes of ethics, reflection, and ethical leadership. The interventions were considered effective to prospect the ethical environment in health services, and their effectiveness was evaluated by validated instruments, as well as through interviews and focus groups.

Trade, Politics, and Patronising Otherness: Analysing the EU’s Moral Authority in EU-Trade Agreements

ABSTRACT This article investigates how political actors engage in the politicisation of TTIP and EU-Mercosur agreements. By focusing on Atlantic Europe, Fortress Europe, and Moral Europe, the study reveals how proponents and opponents contribute to the construction of places and hierarchisation of trade partners. For TTIP, opponents highlighted the USA’s relaxed regulatory standards, promoting a ‘fortress’ narrative that emphasised regulatory differences. Proponents, however, framed the USA as an equal ally, advocating for an Atlantic Europe partnership. In contrast, the Mercosur agreement saw proponents, particularly in Germany, viewing Latin American nations as strategically significant, with the EU positioned as a moral authority countering China’s influence. Opponents also used the Moral Europe frame to argue that engagement with Brazil could undermine the EU´s ethical standards and damage its moral leadership. Ultimately, this study shows the paternalistic approach used by both proponents and opponents to frame the EU in relation to the Mercosur nations.

Role of Ethical Leadership in Promoting Sustainable Business Practices

Ethical leadership is rapidly evolving and the concept of sustainable business practice transcending from mere financial metrics to a deep commitment of environmental, social and governance matters. It is gaining much research attention to creating social value, influencing organizational behavior, employee engagement/commitment, and environmental sustainability. Contemporary organizations face the challenge of maintaining profitability while embedding ethical principles into their core operations. On one hand, balancing economic, social, and environmental dimensions is crucial, yet on the other hand, implementation of consistent ethical leadership across diverse global contexts remains difficult. This often leads to unethical behavior and stakeholder distrust, resulting in legal and financial repercussions. This article aims to evaluate the role of ethical leadership in promoting sustainable business practices based on social learning theory, stakeholders’ theory, and transformational leadership theory. A review of selected papers was employed from 2020 to 2024 to evaluate the role of ethical leadership and sustainability business initiatives. The findings showed pertinent characteristics of ethical leadership in support to sustainable business practices. Further, employee involvement in sustainability initiatives was very important. In conclusion, ethical leadership is a significant part of modern organization in developing sustainable business practices. Hence, this article contributes to knowledge from enhanced resilience of organizations through reputation to compliance according to set regulatory standards.

The Role of Ethical Leadership in Sustainable Performance: An Analytical Research from the Perspective of Al-Muqdadiya Hospital Employees.

Purpose: This research seeks to identify ethical leadership and sustainable performance from a theoretical perspective. Theoretical Framework: Based on what researchers (Kyalo, 2019) reported, these organizations must adopt one of the leadership styles that helps them enhance their reputation from an ethical standpoint in the society within which they operate. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study analyses hospital data (2023-2024), using the ethical leadership model with its three components (justice, power sharing, and role clarification) in enhancing sustainable performance with its three components (social performance, economic performance, and environmental performance). Findings: The results confirmed the existence of a vital role for ethical leadership in enhancing the sustainable performance of Al-Muqdadiya Hospital, and therefore the hypotheses of this research (main and subsidiary) were accepted. Research Implications: The results confirm the need for Al-Muqdadiya Hospital to form a work team of leaders who are distinguished by ethical principles and adhere to them when carrying out the tasks and duties assigned to them, in a way that enhances their role in investing the resources available to the hospital when meeting the standards and indicators of sustainable performance that it seeks. Originality/Value: This study confirms that modern business organizations of all types, as well as the sector in which they operate, need to strengthen their relationship with the environment in which they operate, due to the wide wave of environmental transformations, as well as the rapid changes that the world is witnessing, specifically in the ethical and social aspects. JEL Classification: M10, M12, M15, M19. Authors’ individual contribution: Conceptualization — A.H.A.I..; Methodology — A.H.A.I..; Formal Analysis — A.H.A.I..; Investigation — A.H.A.I.; Data Curation — A.H.A.I..; Writing —Original Draft — A.H.A.I..; Writing — Review & Editing — A.H.A.I.; Visualization — A.H.A.I.; Supervision — A.H.A.I.; Project Administration —A.H.A.I. Declaration of conflicting interests: The Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

The Influence of Business Ethics and Diversity on ESG Disclosure: Empirical Evidence from Indonesian Firms

This study examines the impact of corporate governance mechanisms, board characteristics, and ethical leadership on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance in Indonesian companies. The analysis investigates how board ethics, independence, tenure, ownership structure, and other governance factors influence ESG scores. The findings reveal that board ethics and independence significantly improve ESG performance, supporting the role of ethical leadership and resource dependence theory in shaping corporate sustainability. Additionally, the study highlights the role of institutional ownership in driving ESG outcomes, particularly in emerging markets. Cultural factors, such as board culture, also contribute to the variability in ESG performance, suggesting the importance of aligning corporate governance practices with local values and global sustainability standards. The results have important theoretical implications, extending corporate governance theories to the context of developing economies. Practically, the findings provide insights for policymakers, corporate leaders, and investors to enhance ESG performance through effective governance reforms and ethical leadership. This study offers a significant contribution to the growing literature on ESG in emerging markets and provides a foundation for future research on corporate sustainability in different institutional settings.

What Lies Beneath: A Development-Oriented Auditing Approach to Understand Organizations Beyond the Surface of Hard-Control.

Auditing procedures aim to improve educational quality in vocational education and training. Auditing approaches often focus on checking for compliance to rules and standards. Through dialogue, development-oriented audits are thought to inspire soft-control, a form of control that aims to address what is beneath the surface of mere compliance. These kinds of audits offer opportunities to demonstrate ethical leadership as part of an ethical culture. It is expected that an ethical culture variables positively influence working climate variables and ultimately intrinsic motivation. In this study, conducted as part of the (Hermanussen et al., 2022) study, we employed structural equation modeling to test if model behavior and sanctionability positively influenced perceived autonomy, perceived relatedness, trust, and self-efficacy, and ultimately intrinsic motivation. The study was conducted at eight different Dutch secondary vocational education and training organizations including 1223 participants. Results demonstrate a good model fit, χ2 = .12, df = 3, p = .989, GFI = 1.00, AFGI = 1.00, and RMSEA <.001. All presumed effects were significant. The strongest effects include model behavior on autonomy (.49) and autonomy on intrinsic motivation (.45). Future research should employ designs and analyses that are able to account for a multilevel structure in educational organizations.

The Rise and Fall of Chanda Kochhar: Icici’s Governance Breakdown and its Linkage to SDG 5, 8 and 16

Objectives: The primary objective of this paper is to explore how corporate governance failures can disrupt progress toward SDGs by eroding organizational commitment and sustainability. Theoretical Framework : This paper has adopted “The Stewardship Theory” model to align with the Corporate Governance practices at ICICI Bank and thereby highlight the flaws in the system. Method: Chanda Kochhar began her career at ICICI Bank in 1984 as a Management Trainee. After navigating through a fierce succession battle, she rose to the level of Managing Director in 2009. She became the first woman in Indian history to lead a mighty bank, succeeding the group Chairman K.V. Kamath. She was the face of Women Empowerment in India till one fine day when she was accused of corporate misconduct and quid pro quo for her involvement in questionable deals between her husband and Venugopal Dhoot, which were brought to light by whistle-blower Arvind Gupta, prompting an investigation. Results and Discussion: After preliminary hitches, the Central Bureau of Investigation thoroughly investigated this matter and found Chanda Kochhar guilty. This breakdown greatly impacted ICICI and had larger implications for achieving sustainability development goals (SDGs), predominantly those related to strong institutions &amp; ethical leadership SDG 16, gender equality SDG 5 and decent work and economic growth SDG 8. Research Implications: It was brought to light by an autonomous investigation that ICICI Banks’ CEO had failed to adhere to the set rules, regulations, and policies of the bank. In fact, she had dishonored the bank’s norms. This episode demonstrates how corporate governance failures can disrupt progress toward SDGs by eroding organizational commitment and sustainability.

A Comparative Bibliometric Analysis of Ethical Leadership Research: Insights From Scopus and Web of Science (2010-2024)

This research provides a bibliometric analysis of articles published between 2010 and 2024 on "Ethical Leadership" using Scopus and Web of Science databases. The analysis aims to see the status of the ethical leadership. Ethical leadership represents a crucial aspect of effective management, and it has been the subject of increasing interest from researchers. The investigation involved an examination of both Scopus and Web of Science. These databases are widely recognized as prominent sources of academic research. The comparative analysis is designed to provide detailed insight into the citation patterns, and collaborative networks associated with ethical leadership research. The search scope was narrowed by using the term "ethical leadership" as a keyword in both databases. Furthermore, other disciplines were excluded by entering "education" into the search filter. The term "Ethical Leadership" was entered into the search field. As a result, 122 articles obtained from the Web of Science database and 133 articles from Scopus. Different results were obtained from the data analyzed.

An examination of ethical leadership in academia: a study of accounting faculty

ABSTRACT This study reports on accounting faculty perceptions of ethical tone-at-the-top (TATT) – indicative of ethical leadership – and explores the relationship of TATT to faculty job satisfaction. Both constructs have international applicability. A sample of 539 survey responses from United States accounting faculty provided data for the analyses. Job satisfaction and perceptions of TATT, proxy measured with the Ethical Leadership Scale and the Behavioral Integrity scale, were found significantly and positively related. Most accounting faculty perceived an ethical TATT, and most faculty were satisfied with their jobs. Nevertheless, about a third did not affirmatively indicate that their direct supervisor reflected an ethical TATT and about a fifth did not affirmatively indicate that they were satisfied with their jobs. Female faculty compared to male faculty, and tenured faculty compared to non-tenured faculty, had lower perceptions of the TATT of their direct supervisors and had less job satisfaction. By improving the TATT in accounting departments, academic leaders can perhaps retain more faculty, decrease unethical behaviors, and provide improved ethics training to future accountants.