Leading with moral courage: The interplay of guilt and courage on perceived ethical leadership and group organizational citizenship behaviors

Abstract

This study uses a moderated mediation model to investigate the role of leaders’ moral courage and guilt in promoting group‐level organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Based on the idea that leaders model ethical behavior among followers, we examine whether leaders’ display of morally laden emotions weaken follower perceptions of ethical leadership, thus disrupting the influence of moral courage on followers. Two independent studies examined the proposed model. Study 1 used an experimental design to examine leaders’ moral displays, testing the interactive effects of leader moral courage, and guilt on follower perceptions of ethical leadership. Study 2 used a multisource field study with 100 leaders and 336 subordinates to explore how a leader displays of courage and guilt influenced group‐level OCB, mediated by ethical leadership. Consistent with our theoretical model, we find an indirect positive relationship between a leader’s moral courage and group OCB. However, we also find that this effect is weakened by displays of guilt by the leader.

Crisis, ethical leadership and moral courage: Ethical climate during COVID-19

“…To solve ethical problems and to fulfill the moral quest of the profession, nurses need moral courage. 3 However, a copious number of studies have evidenced that nurses suffer from unresolved ethical problems causing them moral distress with adverse consequences. 4 , 5 Thus, nurses need a climate that enables them to meet their role and foster resolving these ethical problems; this is called ethical climate.…”

How Are Leadership, Virtues, HRM Practices, and Citizenship Related in Organizations? Testing of Mediation Models in the Light of Positive Organizational Studies

“…Positive perceptions of organizational virtues also lead to greater employee engagement, translating into organizational citizenship behaviors [28]. Likewise, Mansur, Sobral, and Islam [80] found a positive association between an ethical (virtue-based) leadership and organizational citizenship behaviors. From there, the fifth research hypothesis is based: Hypothesis 5 (H5).…”

“…By testing a multilevel model of mediation, Ruiz-Palomino, Linuesa-Langreo, and Elche [84] found a mediating role of organizational citizenship behaviors in the relationship between leadership and team performance, ratifying the positive association between leadership and organizational citizenship. Moreover, Mansur et al [80] found a positive association between ethical (virtue-based) leadership and organizational citizenship behaviors. In the same perspective, Nemr and Liu [32] concluded that ethical leadership has both direct and indirect effects on organizational citizenship behaviors, signaling the importance of studying variables that mediate the relationship between leadership and organizational citizenship behaviors, as we examined in the present study.…”

Organizational Solutions to the Moral Risks of Policing

“…If leaders want their officers to do the right thing, no matter what, when interacting with the public, then the leaders have to model moral courage. For example, in one study that used a non-police sample, it was found that “courageous leaders are able to inspire and encourage followers to act prosocially” ([ 64 ], p. 597). Within police agencies, although this remains to be empirically tested, it can be assumed that leaders who demonstrate moral courage will have officers who are more likely to maintain a strong service orientation, despite the challenges.…”