Ethical Leadership and Team Ethical Voice and Citizenship Behavior in the Military: The Roles of Team Moral Efficacy and Ethical Climate

Abstract

In recent years, unethical conduct (e.g., Enron, Lehman Brothers, Oxfam, Volkswagen) has become an important issue in management; relatedly, there is growing interest regarding the nature and implications of ethical leadership. Drawing from social learning theory, we posited that ethical leadership would positively relate to team ethical voice and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) through team moral efficacy. Furthermore, building on social information processing theory and the social intuitionist model, we expected these effects to be accentuated in teams with a strong ethical climate. Using survey data from subordinates and leaders pertaining to 150 teams from the Republic of Korea Army, ethical leadership was found to indirectly relate to increased team ethical voice and OCB directed at individuals and the organization through team moral efficacy. These relationships tended to be amplified among teams with a strong ethical climate. In addition, these findings persisted while controlling for transformational leadership, thereby highlighting the incremental value of ethical leadership for team outcomes. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.