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The Nexus of Ethical Leadership, Job Performance, and Turnover Intention: The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction

Author

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  • Imran Shafique

    (COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Department of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan)

  • Masood N. Kalyar

    (Government College University Faisalabad, Faculty of Economics & Management Sciences, Department of Business Administration, Faisalabad, Pakistan)

  • Bashir Ahmad

    (Government College University Faisalabad, Faculty of Economics & Management Sciences, Department of Business Administration, Faisalabad, Pakistan)

Abstract

This study aims to examine the impact of ethical leadership on employees' job satisfaction, job performance, and turnover intention. A conceptual framework is developed which integrates job satisfaction as a mediating mechanism in explaining the nexus among ethical leadership, employee job performance, and turnover intention. The proposed model is tested by using the data collected from a sample (n = 196) of tourist companies in Pakistan. The results reveal that ethical leadership has a positive effect on employees' job satisfaction, job performance and negative effect on employees' turnover intentions. Further, job satisfaction mediates the effect of ethical leadership on employees' job performance and turnover intentions. The findings recommend that the demonstration of ethical leadership behaviours by managers at the workplace increases the likelihood of employees' job satisfaction and performance, while reducing their intention to leave the job. This study elucidates that, in Pakistani tourism sector, ethical leadership plays a key role in achieving performance goals. Future research could analyse the said nexus in different sectors and across different cultures while considering other measures of individual performance. The originality of this study is theorizing as well as empirically testing the intervening mechanism of job satisfaction in probing the linkages among ethical leadership, job performance, and turnover intention in Pakistani workplace context.

Suggested Citation

  • Imran Shafique & Masood N. Kalyar & Bashir Ahmad, 2018. "The Nexus of Ethical Leadership, Job Performance, and Turnover Intention: The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction," Interdisciplinary Description of Complex Systems - scientific journal, Croatian Interdisciplinary Society Provider Homepage: http://indecs.eu, vol. 16(1), pages 71-87.
    • Handle: RePEc:zna:indecs:v:16:y:2018:i:1:p:71-87
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Qiangzhen Jian & Xiuting Wang & Hisham Mohammad Al-Smadi & Aamer Waheed & Alina Badulescu & Sarminah Samad, 2022. "Proposing a Robust Model to Reduce Employees’ Turnover Intentions in an Ethical Leadership Framework: Empirical Evidence from the Healthcare Sector," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-20, July.
    3. Anthony Tapiwa Mazikana & Precious Hove, 2024. "Developing an Employee Retention Strategy for Improving Organizational Performance in Zimbabwe: Case of Mashonaland Tobacco Company," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 8(3), pages 1725-1749, March.
    4. Salih Katircioglu & Huseyin Arasli & Mehmet Necati Cizreliogullari, 2022. "The Role of Ethical Leadership in Psychological Capital and Job Satisfaction of Immigrant Workers: Evidence From the Hotel Industry of Cyprus," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(3), pages 21582440211, July.
    5. Li Ma & Yue Cao & Dake Jiang & Yang Gao & Xiaomin Du, 2020. "Does ethics really matter to the sustainability of new ventures? The relationship between entrepreneurial ethics, firm visibility and entrepreneurial performance," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(1), pages 1-23, January.
    6. Jiajing Shao & Jacob Cherian & Li Xu & Muhammad Zaheer & Sarminah Samad & Ubaldo Comite & Liana Mester & Daniel Badulescu, 2022. "A CSR Perspective to Drive Employee Creativity in the Hospitality Sector: A Moderated Mediation Mechanism of Inclusive Leadership and Polychronicity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-22, May.
    7. Hanna Choi & Sujin Shin, 2022. "The Factors That Affect Turnover Intention According to Clinical Experience: A Focus on Organizational Justice and Nursing Core Competency," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-12, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    ethical leadership; job performance; turnover intention; job satisfaction;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D19 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Other
    • D23 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Organizational Behavior; Transaction Costs; Property Rights
    • J28 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Safety; Job Satisfaction; Related Public Policy
    • M10 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - General

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