Explaining the relationship between ethical leadership and burnout facets in the academic context: the mediating role of illegitimate tasks

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Julmi ◽  
José Manuel Pereira ◽  
Jack K. Bramlage ◽  
Benedict Jackenkroll

PurposeAlthough the literature shows that ethical leadership reduces the risk of burnout, research still lacks a comprehensive understanding of the mediating effects between ethical leadership and burnout. As media reports on working conditions in the academic context often tie the problem of unethical leadership practices to illegitimate tasks, this study focuses on illegitimate tasks as a mediator between ethical leadership and burnout.Design/methodology/approachThe research model is tested using structural equation modeling and data from 1,053 doctoral and postdoctoral students in randomly selected German state universities.FindingsThe results significantly support all hypothesized effects, showing direct correlations between (1) ethical leadership and illegitimate tasks, (2) ethical leadership and burnout facets and (3) illegitimate tasks and burnout facets. The relationship between ethical leadership and burnout is thus partially mediated by illegitimate tasks.Practical implicationsThe authors recommend three major fields of action for practice. These fields comprise (1) the leadership situation, (2) the leader and (3) the follower.Originality/valueThe presented model is the first that connects the relationship between ethical leadership and burnout with illegitimate tasks and looks at ethical leadership from a stress-as-offense-to-self (SOS) perspective.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gedif Tessema Sinshaw ◽  
Atul Shiva ◽  
Manjit Singh

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the mediating role of knowledge process capability (KPC) between ethical leadership (EL) and administrative innovation (AI) in the banking sector of Ethiopia.Design/methodology/approachThe study was conducted by a standardized questionnaire survey to collect the data from 266 employees of Commercial Bank of Ethiopia in 93 branches. The study employed structural equation modeling approach with Analyzing Moment of Structures 23.0 to test the hypothesized mediation model.FindingsThe results of this investigation disclose that EL has a significant and direct effect on AI and KPC. KPC also influences AI significantly.Originality/valueThe study revealed that KPC plays a partial mediating role in linking EL to AI, which is a new contribution to the existing literature of EL. This dimension can provide new dimensions to design organizational leadership which is based on sustainability paradigm. This can strengthen the organizational capabilities aiming to increasing innovative behaviors in order to have a deep-seated strategy.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Aamir Saeed ◽  
Yuanyuan Jiao ◽  
Muhammad Mohsin Zahid ◽  
Humaira Tabassum ◽  
Shazia Nauman

PurposeThe aim of the current study is to empirically assess the effects of organizational flexibility on project portfolio (PP) performance, with the mediating role of innovation and moderating effects of environmental dynamism (ED) and absorptive capability (AC).Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 173 manufacturing firms and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with the help of a partial least squares (PLS) approach.FindingsResults show that innovation partially mediates the relationship between organizational flexibility and PP performance. Furthermore, the moderating effect of ED between organizational flexibility and innovation was analyzed. Additionally, AC also observed as a moderator between innovation and PP performance.Originality/valueBased on the resource-based view, this study contributes to the literature by addressing the roles of innovation, ED and AC in the relationship between organizational flexibility and PP performance. Implications for managers also discussed in the end; for example, to be more competitive, they should incorporate flexibility into the firm to encourage innovation. It also emphasizes to select new innovative opportunities that correspondingly have effects on the PP performance.


2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (7) ◽  
pp. 912-935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaofeng Zheng ◽  
Zhiying Liu ◽  
Xiuyuan Gong

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the role leader attention plays in the nurture of transformational leadership (TL) behavior, as well as the mechanism by which TL affects innovation ambidexterity, this research empirically studied the relationship between leader attention scope (LAS) and innovation ambidexterity (exploratory innovation and exploitative innovation) through the mediating role of TL. Further, the moderating effect of environmental dynamism (ED) on the relationship between TL and innovation ambidexterity was examined. Design/methodology/approach Empirical study was adopted by distributing questionnaires to high echelon leaders in mainland China to assess related variables. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationships of the variables based on the 188 returned questionnaires. Findings The results show that LAS had a positive effect on innovation ambidexterity, and the relationship was partially mediated by TL. ED negatively moderated the relationship between TL and innovation ambidexterity. Practical implications The results suggest that upper echelon leaders receive more unfamiliar, outward-oriented, and source-diverse information to broaden their attention scope. The broad outlook they get obliges them to engage in TL behavior which is beneficial for innovation ambidexterity. Originality/value Based on upper echelons theory, this research reveals the realization mechanism of innovation ambidexterity from the perspectives of leader attention and leadership behavior. This paper avoids the previous research limitation of prevalently employing demographic measurements to substitute for leaders’ psychological processes. The study of LAS also explains the formation mechanism of TL. ED is considered to examine the effectiveness of TL.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ansumalini Panda ◽  
Chandan Kumar Sahoo

PurposeThis study aims to explore the relationship between work–life balance and employee retention by examining the mediating role of psychological empowerment among software firms based in India.Design/methodology/approachThe study collected 283 responses by using a structured questionnaire and interview method. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to validate the hypothesized research model for examining the consistency and sturdiness of the study variables by applying AMOS 20.FindingsThe result reveals that psychological empowerment partially mediates the relationship between work–life balance and the retention of professionals. This indicates that a high degree of psychological empowerment strengthens the relations between work–life balance and the retention of professionals.Research limitations/implicationsThe research outlined a best-fit model of psychological empowerment as a partial mediator among work–life balance and the retention of professionals. The study presents a set of sensible and practical aspects where work–life balance and retention of professionals can aid in developing and generating commitment to the organization which could offer new insights for software professionals, managers and practitioners.Originality/valueThis study emphasized that psychological empowerment helps in enhancing dedication, loyalty, integrity, allegiance and trustworthiness among employees, thus playing a role between work–life balance and the retention of professionals.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isa Nsereko ◽  
Samuel S. Mayanja ◽  
Waswa Balunywa

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the mediating role of novelty ecosystem in the relationship between prior knowledge and social entrepreneurial venture creation (SEVC) among community-based organizations (CBOs) in Uganda.Design/methodology/approachThe study is cross sectional and quantitative. Data were collected from CBO owner-managers. Mean, standard deviations, correlations and structural equation modeling were conducted to check the relationships among variables.FindingsResults show that both prior knowledge and novelty ecosystem are significantly associated with SEVC. Results further indicate that novelty ecosystem partially mediates the relationship between prior knowledge and SEVC.Research limitations/implicationsThe design was cross sectional in nature, thus limiting monitoring changes in knowledge and its effect on SEVC. The results should be interpreted as they are because there could be some endogeneity biases, which were not detected like measurement errors and failure to identify appropriate instruments.Originality/valueThis study provides an initial empirical evidence on the relationship between prior knowledge, novelty ecosystem and SEVC using evidence from a developing African country – Uganda. Mostly, this provides an initial evidence of the mediation role of novelty ecosystem in the relationship between prior knowledge and SEVC.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanieh Alipour Bazkiaei ◽  
Noor Ullah Khan ◽  
Ateeq-ur-Rehman Irshad ◽  
Adeel Ahmed

PurposeEntrepreneurship is a vital source of job creation and a key driver in promoting economic growth. The Malaysian government encourages higher educational institutions (HEIs) to develop more competitive and innovative graduates for the economy so that Malaysia achieves high-income nation status by 2025. This study aims to investigate the mediating role of attitude toward entrepreneurship (ATE) in the relationship between key psychological factors, that is, subjective norm (SN), perceived behavior control (PBC), big-five (BF) personality traits, entrepreneurial motivation (EM) and educational factors (EFs) with entrepreneurial intention (EI) among Malaysian university students.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a quantitative design based on a positivist approach. The adopted questionnaire was used as the survey instrument. The primary data were collected from a sample of 251 final-year students in the management field who were enrolled in research-intensive Malaysian universities. Data were analyzed through the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique using AMOS 24 software.FindingsFindings confirmed that the BF personality traits, EM, PBC, SN, ATE and EFs were positively related to EI. Furthermore, ATE mediated the relationship between BF personality traits, EM, PBC, SN, EF, and EI among Malaysian university students.Research limitations/implicationsThis research provides critical insights into the key antecedents, for example, psychological and EFs, in explaining the EI of university students and future graduates. However, results can only be generalized to research-intensive Malaysian universities.Originality/valueThis study investigated the relationship between psychological factors, that is, BF personality traits, EM, PBC, SN and EFs in predicting EI of Malaysian university students. ATE mediated the relationship between BF personality traits, EM, PBC, SN, EF and EI among these students.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Mumtaz Khan ◽  
Muhammad Shujaat Mubarik ◽  
Syed Saad Ahmed ◽  
Tahir Islam ◽  
Essa Khan ◽  
...  

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to ascertain the mediating role of meaning between servant leadership and work engagement. The study also explores the relationship between servant leadership and work engagement.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected from 704 service sector employees working in Pakistan through survey design. The data analysis was done through structural equation modeling using PLS-Smart and hierarchical regression using SPSS.FindingsThe results revealed that servant leadership was related to meaning and work engagement. Moreover, meaning was found to be related to work engagement. Finally, meaning was found to mediate the relationship between servant leadership and work engagement.Originality/valueThe research has ascertained the previously unexplored mediating role of meaning between servant leadership and work engagement.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 58-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Suzete Semedo ◽  
Arnaldo Coelho ◽  
Neuza Ribeiro

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how authentic leadership (AL) predicts creativity both directly and through the mediating role of affective commitment (AC) and job resourcefulness (JR). Design/methodology/approach Data collected from a questionnaire administered to a sample of 543 employees have been analyzed. The model was tested using structural equation modeling. Findings The findings show that AL predicts AC, JR and creativity. The findings also show that AC and JR predict creativity. In other words, leaders’ authenticity increases employees’ creative spirit and, thus, employees’ ability to overcome obstacles and meet challenges at work and their emotional bond play an important role (mediators) in this relationship. Practical implications The results of this study are conclusive and contribute to a better understanding of AL and its implication for employees’ emotional bond, their ability to overcome obstacles and their ability to introduce new and useful ideas. This study provides evidence that organizations should focus on training leaders with authentic characteristics. Originality/value This study considers both AC and JR as mediators of the relationship between AL and creativity. Therefore, the originality of this study lies in the integration of these four concepts in a single study to provide a model that depicts the chain of effects between AL, AC, JR and an employee’s creativity.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tunde Simeon Amosun ◽  
Jianxun Chu ◽  
Olayemi Hafeez Rufai ◽  
Sayibu Muhideen ◽  
Riffat Shahani ◽  
...  

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of e-government usage on citizen engagement during the COVID-19 crisis in China, in relation to the mediating role of how citizens perceive the government. A model was also proposed to explain the relationship between e-government usage during the COVID-19 crisis and the mediating role that different perceptions of government play in influencing citizens level of engagement.Design/methodology/approachThe research model was tested empirically through a survey conducted online with 866 research participants, comprising of Chinese citizens from three large cities, which include Hefei, Shanghai and Nanjing.FindingsThe results in structural equation modeling showed that e-government usage has a significant positive influence on citizens' perception about trust in government, government transparency and government reputation but not significant influence on citizens' engagements. However, an indirect relationship was found out in the mediation analysis. There was also a significant relationship between the different perceptions of government. Mediation analysis showed that all the different perceptions of government mediate the relationship between e-government usage and citizens' engagements during the COVID-19 crisis. The single mediation pathways were found to be most effective mediators, identifying citizens' perception about trust in government to be the most effective mediator.Originality/valueThis study filled the gap in literature by examining how e-government usage by Chinese citizens during the COVID-19 crisis helped influence their attitude and behavior. Specifically, this study is one of the first to integrate citizens' usage of e-government and citizens' engagement through the different citizens' perceptions of government such as trust in government, transparency of government and government reputation in a non-liberal country.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raed Khamis Alharbi ◽  
Sofri Bin Yahya ◽  
Salina Kassim

Purpose This study aims to examine the relationship between religiosity and branding on small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs’) performance in Saudi Arabia. It also examines the mediating role of financial literacy on the relationship among Islamic religiosity, branding and SMEs’ performance. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts the purposive sampling technique in three major commercial cities, namely, Riyadh, Jeddah and Al-Qassim to sample 100 SMEs each, resulting in a total sampling of 300 SMEs in Saudi Arabia. Structural equation modeling is used to analyze the hypotheses formulated in this study. The structural equation modeling is aided with the help of Smart-PLS software. Findings This study finds that Islamic branding (on customer, compliance and origin) significantly affect financial attitude, while Islamic religiosity affects financial awareness among the SMEs. Findings reveal that there is a mediating role of financial awareness on the relationship between Islamic branding and Islamic religiosity with the SMEs’ performance. No mediation effect was recorded for financial attitude and financial knowledge. Further investigation reveals that financial attitude, financial awareness, Islamic branding (compliance and origin) and Islamic religiosity were the most significant determinants of SMEs’ performance in the context of Saudi Arabia. Research limitations/implications This study is conducted on SMEs in Saudi Arabia only. Further studies are required to examine SMEs in other Islamic countries and regions to improve the explanatory power of financial literacy on Islamic religiosity and Islamic branding for improved SMEs performance. Originality/value This study establishes that Islamic religiosity and branding could further increase the predictive power of financial literacy on SMEs’ performance. This study concludes that efforts to improve financial literacy should be religion-based as well as culture-based depending on where the SMEs are located so that specific strategies can be implemented, to enable the conducive growth of the SMEs and maximize the contribution of the SMEs to economic growth.


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