Effects of ethical leadership on bullying and voice behavior among nurses

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to investigate the effects of ethical leadership on employee’s bullying and voice behavior, considering poor working conditions, organizational identification and workload as mediating variables. Design/methodology/approach Questionnaire survey design was used to elicit responses of 564 nurses from hospitals located in various cities of Pakistan. Findings Analysis through structural equation modeling proved that ethical leadership has a positive and significant impact on both organizational identification and voice behavior, but a negative and significant impact on workload, poor working conditions and bullying at the workplace. Furthermore, organizational identification, poor working conditions and workload proved to be partial mediators. Originality/value The study adds value to the limited literature on ethical leadership, bullying and voice behavior in nursing. Additionally, organizational identification, workload and poor working conditions have not previously been examined as mediators.

Effects of bullying on job insecurity and deviant behaviors in nurses: Roles of resilience and support

“…Workplace bullying has emerged as one of the grave issues plaguing every occupation and industry worldwide with far-fetched consequences for its victims (Einarsen et al, 2003;Fontes et al, 2019;Naseer et al, 2018). Past research identifies workplace bullying as a highly prevalent phenomenon in developing countries like Pakistan (e.g., Majeed & Naseer, 2019;Naseer & Raja, 2019;Raja et al, 2018) with nurses being the most vulnerable targets (Islam et al, 2019;Sarwar et al, 2019). In particular the health care industry in a developing country like Pakistan holds immense importance for examining how and when nurses experience of workplace bullying might trigger deviant work behaviors (Sarwar et al, 2019).…”

“…In the health care industry, nurses are the most exposed end targets of bullying incidences in Pakistan (Islam et al, 2019;Sarwar et al, 2019). In this perspective our study is timely and relevant as it examined a unique process of job insecurity which elucidates how nurses being exposed to bullying behaviors lose resources and try…”

“…Our study offers interesting implications for nurses in the health sector of Pakistan. Nurses in Pakistan are exposed to stressful working conditions, late working hours and excessive workload which makes them more susceptible to bullying at work (Islam et al, 2019;Sarwar, Bashir, & Karim Khan, 2019). Our study found nurses who are exposed to bullying develop higher perceptions of their jobs being insecure which triggers them to redress it in the form of deviance.…”

“…Sarwar et al (2019) argued that instances of workplace bullying in nurses working in Pakistan sparks negative emotions which may spillover from work to the family domains inciting family incivility. Moreover, a few recent studies have highlighted that nurses in Pakistan are more vulnerable to instances of bullying and are more likely to experience bullying at work in the form of ridicule, insulting or derogatory behaviors (Islam, Ahmed, & Ali, 2019;Malik, Sattar, Shahzad, & Faiz, 2017;Sarwar et al, 2019).…”

Impact of Ethical Leadership and Thriving at Work on Psychological Well-Being of Employees: Mediating Role of Voice Behaviour

“…Ethical leadership remained a topic of interest from years for effective leadership (Bass & Steidlmeier, 1999). The recent research on leadership is also focused on ethical behaviors of leaders (Anwar, Abid & Waqas, 2020) and their influence on employee's voice (Islam, Ahmed, & Ali, 2019). Ethical leadership is defined as the "demonstration of normatively appropriate conduct through personal actions and social interactions, and the promotion of such conduct to followers through two-way communication, reinforcement, and decision-making" (Brown et al, 2005, p. 120).…”