A meta‐analytic test of the differential pathways linking ethical leadership to normative conduct

Abstract

We test how ethical leadership influences normatively (in)appropriate work behavior through distinct mediating pathways, including one's exchange relationship with the leader, ethical culture, and identification with the organization. Our study also controls for transformational leadership as a predictor and trust in leader as a nonhypothesized alternative mechanism. We test our hypotheses using metaanalytic structural equation modeling based on our meta-analysis of 301 independent samples (N = 103,354) and relevant meta-analytic correlations reported in previous research. Supporting our prediction, we found that leader-member exchange, which represents social exchange theory, was the most potent mechanism that accounts for the positive relationship between ethical leadership and task performance. In contrast, ethical culture, which assesses a social learning mechanism, is the strongest predictor of counterproductive behavior. In addition, all three hypothesized mediators each contribute to understanding the positive relationship between ethical leadership and organizational citizenship behavior, although the indirect effect via organizational identification was the weakest. The findings hold after controlling for job satisfaction as another mediator parallel to the theoretical ones. Our results contribute to a precise theory about ethical leadership by differentiating the processes through which it affects employee behavior.

Ain’t Too Proud to Beg! Effects of Leader’s Use of Pride on Groups

“…The job descriptive index (JDI) [ 27 ] was adapted and utilized to measure task satisfaction. The JDI consists of 18 adjective checklist items (e.g., “fascinating,” “satisfying,” “frustrating”) which participants answer with a “yes,” “no,” or “?” if they were unsure whether the task fit the adjective description.…”

“…The positive relationship between certain aspects or styles of leadership and their relationship with job satisfaction has a long-standing history, and has been demonstrated in multiple contexts and with multiple dimensions of leadership. For example, recent meta-analyses confirm the importance of leader emotional intelligence on subordinates’ satisfaction [ 25 ], leader behaviors (consideration and initiating structure) on the job satisfaction of nurse faculty [ 26 ], and ethical leadership on job satisfaction [ 27 ]. Two articles reviewed above [ 3 , 5 ] suggested that employee job satisfaction is or should also be an outcome from authentic pride of leaders.…”

Corruption, Fast or Slow? Ethical Leadership Interacts With Machiavellianism to Influence Intuitive Thinking and Corruption

“…Research on ethical leaders discusses how they influence their followers through social exchange and social learning processes (Brown et al, 2005). Followers of ethical leaders may feel that they need to reciprocate the positive behavior that is offered to them (Brown and Mitchell, 2010;Peng and Kim, 2020). Researchers advocating this perspective build on theorizing by Bandura (1986), who posits that a learning process can occur not only via direct experience but also via vicarious experience, which is a learning process by observing others' behaviors and their consequences.…”

A Stakeholder Perspective on Ethical Leadership in Sport: Bridging the Gap Between the Normative and Descriptive Lines of Inquiry

“…Since the presentation of this definition, the descriptive and social scientific line of inquiry on ethical leadership has gained momentum in the general management literature, with a multitude of empirical – often quantitative survey based – studies focusing on the antecedents (such as moral identity and emotional stability), mechanisms (such as organizational ethical climate and team cohesion), and consequences (such as followers’ commitment and organizational citizenship behaviour) of ethical leadership ( Bedi et al, 2016 ; Ko et al, 2018 ; Peng & Kim, 2020 ). Emphasis has thereby mainly been put on follower perceptions of the leaders’ characteristics and behaviours.…”