Ethical leadership, perceived leader–member ethical communication and organizational citizenship behavior: development and validation of a multilevel model
Leadership & Organization Development Journal
ISSN: 0143-7739
Article publication date: 11 January 2022
Issue publication date: 27 January 2022
Abstract
Purpose
This study provides a systematic testing of ethical leadership and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) by examining the underlying mechanisms of leader motivation language on ethics through which ethical leadership influences followers’ OCB at the team level.
Design/methodology/approach
A multilevel model was validated via with structural equation modeling (SEM) from hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) based on data collected in a Malaysian organization.
Findings
The perceived leader–member ethical communication at the team-level makes a unique contribution beyond the ethical leadership in explaining OCBs.
Originality/value
Perceived leader–member ethical communication mediates the relationship between ethical leadership and OCB.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the funding from Ministry of Higher Education under the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS/1/2020/SS0/UUM/02/6), project ID 18459.
Citation
Abu Bakar, H. and Connaughton, S.L. (2022), "Ethical leadership, perceived leader–member ethical communication and organizational citizenship behavior: development and validation of a multilevel model", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 43 No. 1, pp. 96-110. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-07-2021-0356
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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