The Impact of Ethical Leadership on Organizational Citizenship Behaviors: The Mediating Role of Psychological Safety

The Impact of Ethical Leadership on Organizational Citizenship Behaviors: The Mediating Role of Psychological Safety

Rodney Platt | 2021

Abstract

This study examined the impact of ethical leadership on follower organizational citizenship behaviors and the mediating role of psychological safety in this relationship. A number of studies have researched the effect ethical leadership has on organizational citizenship behaviors with some studies also having investigated possible mediating variables in this relationship. However, no work had existed that

examined the mediating effect of psychological safety in the relationship between ethical leadership and organizational citizenship behaviors. The study aimed to answer the research questions: to what extent, if at all, is ethical leadership related to organizational citizenship behavior dimensions of altruism, conscientiousness, sportsmanship, courtesy, and civic duty and to what extent, if at all, does

psychological safety mediate the relationship between ethical leadership and the organizational citizenship behavior dimensions of altruism, conscientiousness, sportsmanship, courtesy, and civic duty? A total of 15 hypotheses were presented to test the research questions. The study used a sample size of 78 full-time adult employees located in the United States from various industries. A quantitative methodology using multiple regression was employed to test the hypotheses. Results from the study confirmed the assertion that ethical leadership would have a positive and significant relationship with the organizational citizenship behavior dimensions of conscientiousness, courtesy, and civic virtue. However, the following assertions for the study were found false: that ethical leadership would have a positive and significant relationship with the organizational citizenship behavior dimensions of altruism and sportsmanship, ethical leadership would have a positive and significant relationship with psychological safety, and psychological safety would partially mediate the relationship between ethical leadership and the organizational citizenship behavior dimensions of altruism, conscientiousness, courtesy, sportsmanship, and civic virtue. The study findings contributed to the scholarly domains of leadership and management as the first study to include psychological safety as a mediating variable in the relationship between ethical leadership and follower organizational citizenship. Moreover, it contributes more empirical research on the theoretical concepts of ethical leadership, organizational

citizenship behaviors, and psychological safety.