Machiavellianism, locus of control, moral identity, and ethical leadership among public service leaders in Malaysia: the moderating effect of ethical role modelling

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nor Farah Hanis Zainun ◽  
Johanim Johari ◽  
Zurina Adnan

PurposeThe objective of this study is to examine the predicting role of Machiavellianism, locus of control and moral identity on ethical leadership. This study also assessed the moderating role of ethical role modelling in the linkage between Machiavellianism, locus of control, moral identity and ethical leadership.Design/methodology/approachA total of 202 public service leaders in Malaysia participated in the study. A quantitative study was conducted and structural equation modelling was used to test the hypotheses.FindingsMoral identity poses a substantial influence on ethical leadership. Ethical role modelling is a significant moderator in the association between moral identity and ethical leadership.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contributes to the social learning theory by assessing Machiavellianism, locus of control and moral identity as the predictors of ethical leadership among public service leaders in Malaysia. Future study can be further extended to both managerial and support staff to understand the ethical phenomenon in Malaysian public sector.Practical implicationsThe study highlights the need for public sector to give considerable attention to moral identity in boosting ethical leadership among public service leaders in Malaysia's public sector. Furthermore, the element of ethical role modelling should not be neglected as this factor is a valid moderator in nurturing ethical leadership among public service leaders.Originality/valueThe study deepens the knowledge on the importance of ethical role modelling as a moderator in assessing the influence of the predictors on ethical leadership. Further, this study demonstrates that public service leaders who reported high moral identity would have higher ethical leadership if they experienced good ethical role modelling.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Asim Rafique ◽  
Yumei Hou ◽  
Muhammad Adnan Zahid Chudhery ◽  
Nida Gull ◽  
Syed Jameel Ahmed

PurposeInnovations are imperative for organizational growth and sustainability. This study focuses on the employees' innovative behavior, a source of organizational innovations, which has received substantial attention from the researchers. Based on the psychological empowerment theory, the study exposes the effect of the various dimensions of public service motivation (PSM) on employees' innovative behavior (IB) in public sector institutions especially in the context of developing countries such as Pakistan. Moreover, the study also investigates the mediating role of psychological empowerment (PSE) between the dimensions of PSM and IB.Design/methodology/approachThis study used the cross-sectional research design. By using random sampling, the adapted survey questionnaires were used to collect data from 346 faculty members of public sector universities located in provincial capitals of Pakistan. A partial least square–structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) tool was used to assess the proposed hypotheses through SMART-PLS software.FindingsResults revealed that attraction to policymaking (APM), compassion (COM), self-sacrifice (SS) have a significant impact on employees' PSE and their innovative behavior, while the relationship of commitment to the public interest (CPI) with PSE and IB was found insignificant. Moreover, PSE partially mediated the relationship between PSM dimensions and employees' IB.Originality/valueThere was a scarcity of research on IB especially in public sector institutions such as academia. This study theoretically contributed to the literature by providing a refined picture in assessing the proposed relationship of the constructs. This is also one of the original studies that examine the relationship between the dimensions of PSM and IB.


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.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Moazzam Ali ◽  
Yuanmei (Elly) Qu ◽  
Shoaib Shafique ◽  
Nhat Tan Pham ◽  
Muhammad Usman

PurposeThe present study aimed to test the hypothesis that ethical leadership positively contributes to exploitative learning and explorative learning simultaneously and then examine the moderating role of work centrality in the relationships of ethical leadership with exploitative learning and explorative learning.Design/methodology/approachTime-lagged survey data were collected from 257 middle managers and their 257 immediate supervisors in 76 firms in China. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and Hayes' PROCESS macro for SPSS.FindingsThe results revealed that ethical leadership positively contributed to exploitative learning and explorative learning simultaneously. Importantly, the authors found that work centrality strengthened the positive relationships of ethical leadership with both exploitative learning and explorative learning.Practical implicationsThe findings can help organizations enhance exploitative learning and explorative learning simultaneously and enable them to gain a sustainable competitive advantage.Originality/valueAlthough explorative learning and exploitative learning together constitute fundamental resources for organizations' long-term success, prior research has not looked into whether and when leader behaviors facilitate explorative learning and exploitative learning simultaneously. The study contributed to fill this gap by introducing ethical leadership, signifying its positive role in enhancing both explorative learning and exploitative learning, and establishing work centrality as a moderator to reinforce these two positive relationships.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 344-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raffaela Palma ◽  
Alessandro Hinna ◽  
Gianluigi Mangia

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore whether a pro-social motivation called user orientation (UO), which aims at helping specific others, may affect performance of public sector employees in addition to public service motivation (PSM), and whether any personal, and/or contextual factors affect this relationship (age, tenure, role, and context). Design/methodology/approach Utilizing cross-sectional survey data obtained from 618 Italian public teachers, PLS-structural equation modeling is used to investigate the relationship between PSM, UO, and performance, along with the moderating effects of individual/contextual factors. Findings Findings show positive relationships between the two levers (PSM/UO) and individual performance (IP), depending on job and organizational tenure, role, and the social environment of the areas the schools are located in. Research limitations/implications There might be problems related to causal inference and common method variance, due to the use of the cross-sectional self-reported data. Practical implications Managers should be aware of the crucial role UO and PSM play in order to improve IP in contexts where there is direct contact with the service beneficiaries. Originality/value The paper contributes to a clearer understanding of which motives are involved in the process that leads public service employees to enhance their performance.


2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos J. Rodriguez-Rad ◽  
Encarnacion Ramos-Hidalgo

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the mediating role of moral identity on the relations between the independent variable of spirituality and the original consumer ethics scale (OCES) and attitudes towards doing good and recycling practices of the consumer. Design/methodology/approach To test the various hypotheses of the model, the methodology used is that of partial least squares (PLS) path-modelling, which is a variance-based structural equation modelling (SEM). Findings This research reveals a full mediation of the construct of moral identity in the relationship between spirituality and doing good/recycling practices, and the rejection of those who do not perform these practices that are responsible from the point of view of sustainability. In addition, the existence is shown of a partial mediation of the construct of moral identity in the relationship between spirituality and consumer ethics scale (CES). Practical implications It is demonstrated that the main effect on the attitude of consumers towards the consumption of products and services of companies whose behaviour is responsible towards sustainability is mainly motivated by having a high standard of ethical and moral values and such strong beliefs, such as those of honesty, kindness, generosity and compassion. The main implication of this investigation is that the authors’ results suggest that the identification of these types of consumers would constitute an effective marketing strategy and an important variable of segmentation. Originality value This research is unique in two ways. First, this study proposes a model that provides a solution to the research problems caused by the incorporation of a fifth dimension into the OCES. Second, this paper is the first to investigate the role played by the moral identity as a mediator between the relationship of spirituality and attitudes towards unethical behaviour and doing good/recycling practices.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saima Ahmad ◽  
Talat Islam ◽  
Misbah Sadiq ◽  
Ahmad Kaleem

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the influence of supervisor's ethical leadership style on subordinates' green or pro-environmental work behavior in the presence of green human resource management (GHRM) as a mediator and environmental knowledge as a moderator.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire-based was distributed to 427 supervisor–subordinate dyads working in various Pakistani organizations. Structural equation modeling was used to determine the mechanisms and boundary conditions in the relationship between supervisor's ethical leadership style and subordinates' green behavior.FindingsStructural equation modeling supported a partial mediating role of GHRM in the influence of ethical leadership on green work behavior. Further, the findings revealed that employee's environmental knowledge can magnify the indirect impact of ethical leadership, via GHRM, on green behavior.Research limitations/implicationsCross-sectional survey data are typically associated with common method bias. To counter this bias, we collected data from dual sources, namely, supervisors and their subordinates. The research findings have implications in deepening the understanding of the impact of ethical leadership in improving environmental performance of the organization.Originality/valueThis is the first study that utilizes multi-sourced data to examine the mediating role of GHRM and the moderating role of environmental knowledge in the relationship between ethical leadership and green behavior at work.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hassan Danaeefard ◽  
Abdolali Ahmadzahi Torshab ◽  
Masoumeh Mostafazadeh ◽  
Jalil Delkhah ◽  
Fahimeh Imanikhah

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of organizational goal ambiguity (OGA) on public service motivation (PSM) considering the mediating role of job satisfaction (JS), performance appraisal (PA) and perceived organizational fairness (POF) in the Iranian public sector. This research also seeks to answer this question: to what extent PSM confirmed in Western countries is generalizable to the Iranian public sector?Design/methodology/approachA survey of 779 employees working in 16 ministries of Iran was administered. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and hierarchical regression were applied to test the model and the mediators.FindingsThe results indicate that OGA negatively affects PSM, and this relationship is mediated by JS, PA and POF. Furthermore, the research findings have varied across ministries, contract type, positions and gender. Most importantly, the generalizability of the PSM construct is limited in the public sector of Iran since two of four dimensions of PSM were confirmed, that is, an attraction to public service and self-sacrifice (compassion).Practical implicationsThis paper provides managers and decision makers with a clear understanding of the effects of context (including goal ambiguity, the importance of employee's attitudes and HR systems in shaping unique intrinsic motivation for public organizations) on employee's PSM. Also, these findings show how they can manage and motivate employees to engage in PSM. By clarifying organizational goals or making an association between job tasks and higher-level goals, practitioners can stimulate PSM at work.Originality/valueThis paper advances a new and further understanding of antecedent and mediators of PSM in Iran. Also, it provides an explanation of its generalizability and the role of organizational climate in fostering it.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Talat Islam ◽  
Mubbsher Munawar Khan ◽  
Ishfaq Ahmed ◽  
Khalid Mahmood

PurposeHuman misbehaviors are responsible for climate change as they waste resources and pollute water and air that dilapidate the environment. Considering the fact and contributing to the United Nations sustainable development goals of 2019, organizations started focusing their green HRM practices to develop employees' green attitudes and behaviors. This study is an attempt in this direction. It examines the impact of ethical leadership on individuals' green in-role and extra-role behaviors with the mediating role of green HRM practices and the moderating role of individual green values.Design/methodology/approachThe study collected data from 645 MBA executive students working in various manufacturing industries with at least one year of experience. The data were collected using a questionnaire-based survey in two-time lags.FindingsHypothesized relationships are tested through structural equation modeling. Findings reflected a significant impact of ethical leadership on green HRM practices, in-role, and extra-role green behaviors. Besides, green HRM practices mediated the relationship between ethical leadership and both types of green behaviors. Furthermore, it was observed that the individual green values strengthened the association between green HRM practices and both types of green behaviors.Research limitations/implicationsA cross-sectional design with time lags was used to avoid common method bias. The findings of the study contribute to supply-value-fit theory and validate the scale of individual green value.Practical implicationsThis study guides management that employees only perceive their organizational practices as green when they find their leaders are ethical. Further, considering individual green values in the recruitment process can help organizations accomplishing their green goals.Originality/valueThis study is novel in examining the mediating role of green HRM practices between ethical leadership and green behaviors. Further, the analysis not only validates the scale of individual green values but also noted its moderating role between green HRM and green behaviors.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 387-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haroon Bakari ◽  
Ahmed Imran Hunjra ◽  
Stephen Jaros ◽  
Imamuddin Khoso

Purpose This study aims to explore the moderating role of cynicism about change in the positive relationship between authentic leadership and employee commitment to change. Design/methodology/approach This study used an exploratory research design with deductive approach to invite responses of doctors, nurses and para medical staff of public sector district hospitals, set to be privatized, on structured close-ended questionnaires. Data gathered from four hospitals chosen because they were undergoing restructuring that facilitated the testing of our propositions were analyzed through structural equation modeling using AMOS. A total of 271 usable responses (response rate of 65 per cent) were analyzed. Interaction and simple slope tests were applied to test moderating effects. Findings Results indicate that authentic leadership is positively related to commitment to change. Cynicism about change moderated this positive relationship such that a high level of authentic leadership has a stronger impact on commitment to change when cynicism is low rather than when cynicism is high. Practical implications Results show that in Pakistani hospitals undergoing restructuring, leaders who use authentic leadership will have followers who are more committed to enacting the planned changes, but this effect is magnified if followers are not cynical about the change. Thus, regulators of public sector hospitals may benefit from this study by developing authenticity in hospital leaders to mitigate cynicism about and enhance their commitment to change. Originality/value This study is the first which has explored relationships among cynicism about change, authentic leadership and commitment to change in a privatization context of Pakistan. Findings should be tested in other cultural contexts to determine generalizability.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Razana Juhaida Johari ◽  
Md. Mahmudul Alam ◽  
Jamaliah Said

PurposeIntegrity-related issues are now endemic to public service bureaucracies. It is claimed that corruption in the public sector is very common in various departments/agencies. Lack of integrity will lead to failings in governance and proper oversight of procedures, and subsequently poor financial management and incidents of fraud. Based on the stakeholder theory perspective, this study examines the influences of accountability, risk management and managerial commitment on practices of integrity in the Malaysian public sector.Design/methodology/approachPrimary data were collected through both printed and online questionnaires given to 210 department heads operating within selected Malaysian federal ministries. Data were analysed via the partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach to examine the research hypotheses.FindingsIt is evident that integrity practices in Malaysia's public sector are statistically significantly related to risk management, accountability and management commitment.Practical implicationsThe findings will help the Malaysian federal ministries to take the necessary steps to improve integrity so that dependability and efficiency are the hallmarks of public sector services.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is one of the first to examine the role of accountability, risk management and managerial commitment to integrity in the public sector of a developing market economy.


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