The Virtuous Cycle: How Ethical Leadership Drives Innovative Work Behavior through Individual Attributes
Keywords:
Ethical leadership, innovative work behavior, individual attributes, self-efficacy, locus of controlAbstract
Background: Ethical leadership has been recognized as a crucial factor in promoting innovative work behavior (IWB) in organizations. However, individual attributes such as self-efficacy and locus of control have received relatively less attention in the relationship between ethical leadership and IWB. This study aims to bridge this gap by examining the mediating role of individual attributes in the relationship between ethical leadership and IWB.
Methods: This study was conducted through a quantitative approach using simple random sampling. Data was collected from 174 employees working in private sector universities located in Karachi, Pakistan. A 5-point Likert scale questionnaire was used to collect data on ethical leadership, individual attributes, and innovative work behavior. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to analyze the data.
Findings: The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between ethical leadership and innovative work behavior. Moreover, the results showed that self-efficacy and locus of control mediate this relationship, indicating that employees with higher self-efficacy and internal locus of control are more likely to exhibit innovative work behavior when led by an ethical leader.
Novelty: This study contributes to the existing literature by uncovering the mediating role of individual attributes in the relationship between ethical leadership and innovative work behavior.
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