The impact of ethical leadership on organizational citizenship behavior

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to clarify the relationship between ethical leadership and employee organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), specifically the mechanisms through which ethical leadership impacts employee OCB, and the moderating role of workplace ostracism. Design/methodology/approach The study used the survey-based dyad data collected from middle management team members and their immediate subordinates in Chinese companies. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the research hypothesis. Findings The empirical findings indicate that ethical leadership positively influences employee OCB. Organizational commitment mediates the relationship between ethical leadership and employee OCB. Furthermore, the effect of ethical leadership on employee OCB directly and indirectly (via organizational commitment) is moderated by workplace ostracism. Originality/value This paper adds to knowledge about the relationship between ethical leadership and employee OCB and contributes to better understand workplace ostracism.