Ethical leadership and workplace behavior in the education sector: The implications of employees' ethical work behavior

Abstract

The study aimed to examine the effect of ethical leadership on employees' ethical work behavior. Furthermore, this study examined the mediating role of organizational commitment in the relationship between ethical leadership and employees' ethical work behavior. This study was conducted in a public-sector educational organization, and 500 questionnaires were distributed among targeted employees. Out of these, 400 valid responses were received from individuals working in the education sector in China. The findings showed a positive and significant impact of ethical leadership on employees' ethical work behavior. We found that organizational commitment also significantly mediates the relationship between ethical leadership and employees' ethical work behavior. The practical implications of the current study are useful for all organizations in the public sector. As ethical leadership is positively related to employees' work behavior, we recommend that organizations should develop and conduct such training programs to promote ethical work behavior. Leaders with a strong sense of ethics should be hired to encourage ethical work behavior within the organization. Furthermore, organizations can conduct management training programs, seminars, and workshops to encourage such behavior. Ethical behavior can be encouraged among employees by making it a clear requirement of their jobs. To achieve positive results, top management and leadership must educate employees on the value and importance of ethical behavior in the workplace.

Inducing employee performance among state-owned enterprises, through employee ethical behaviour and ethical leadership

“…Also, Renusha and Opatha (2023) defined employee ethical behaviour as “to act in ways consistent with what society and self usually think is morally accepted” as “good” and “right”, as opposed to “bad” or “wrong” behaviour in a particular situation. Guo et al (2023) identified some examples of employee ethical behaviours which are whistleblowing, truthfulness, maintaining confidentiality, avoiding unfair treatment, avoiding abuses of power, rule-abiding avoiding conflicts of interest, respecting intellectual property, avoiding defamation of others and avoiding workplace bullying. According to the authors, when these behaviours are demonstrated by ethical employees, it helps to promote better job performance in the organization.…”

Connecting the dots of Ethical Leadership and Job Satisfaction: Moderated Mediation Effect of Co-Worker Undermining and Employee Engagement.

“…Leaders that uphold ethics provide a solid example for their followers and treat them with dignity. Numerous academics characterize them as sincere, compassionate, and impartial decision-makers who are also engaged in moral matters that support subordinates' ethics and engagement by offering incentives, recognition, and sanctions based on their actions (Guo et al, 2023;Idrees et al, 2022). Unlike transformational leadership, which focuses primarily on role modeling, ethical leadership has a transactional component, which includes the application of retribution or discipline for unethical behavior or conduct (Stouten et al, 2013).…”

School principals’ experiences of ethical leadership during times of accountability : complexities, dilemmas and dynamics.

“…Consistent with the data, evidence from literature declares that ethical school principals conduct themselves morally while actively communicating ethical standards, ethics, and values as expected from those under their leadership (Brown & Trevino, 2006;Ndlovu et al, 2020;Ogunfowora, 2014). For example, evidence from Chinese schools as studied by Guo et al (2023) emphasise that ethical school principals provide training programmes in the form of seminars and workshops to enhance ethical work behaviour among their educators. In addition, Ogunfowora (2014) emphasises that such school principals also establish systems of reinforcement to uphold these ethical standards, using rewards and punishment.…”

“…In line with the ethic of profession as found under Section 3.2.1 (Multiple Ethical Paradigm Theory) and the Chaos Theory presented in Section 3.2.2, data and literature suggest that school principals are conscious of and strive to enhance ethical leadership in their leadership of schools (Barker, 1995;Shapiro & Hassinger, 2007;Shapiro & Stefkovich, 2001). This is evident as school principals ensure ethical awareness to those under their leadership either by being exemplary, exemplifying ethics, and involving unions as well as departmental officials through training (Guo et al, 2023;Ndlovu et al, 2020). According to Shapiro and Gross (2016), in the ethic of profession, school principals organise themselves and formulate their own professional and personal codes of ethics.…”

“…It resulted in: the reduction in employee absenteeism and misconduct (Cheteni & Shindika, 2017); improving ethical decision making, and building trust in a leader (Vikaram et al, 2020;Vikaram et al, 2021); allowing school principals to balance their management responsibilities with their leadership (Vikaram et al, 2020); helping to build and strengthen the school. Therefore, ethical leadership is an important factor in school principals' realising the vision and mission of the school (Indra & Kustati, 2019;Mthiyane & Mudadigwa, 2021), and improvement in educators' ethical work behaviour (Guo et al, 2023;Wang et al, 2021). These narratives show that schools that are led by principals who are inspired by ethical leadership have much to gain and least to lose.…”