Ethical leadership, employee citizenship and work withdrawal behaviors: Examining mediating and moderating processes

Xiujuan Zhang; Fred O. Walumbwa; Samuel Aryee; Zhen Xiong George Chen

doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2012.11.008

Ethical leadership, employee citizenship and work withdrawal behaviors: Examining mediating and moderating processes

Xiujuan Zhang^*, Fred O. Walumbwa, Samuel Aryee, Zhen Xiong George Chen

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

30 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The present study examined the mediating and moderating processes in the relationship between ethical leadership and employee citizenship behavior as well as work withdrawal behavior using a sample of 277 employees and their supervisors from the People's Republic of China. Results revealed that ethical leadership negatively relates to politics perceptions and that politics perceptions partially mediate the negative influence of ethical leadership on uncertainty. We also found that uncertainty partially mediates the politics perceptions-emotional exhaustion relationship. Further, politics perceptions interact with political skill to influence emotional exhaustion through uncertainty. Finally, emotional exhaustion fully mediates the uncertainty-citizenship behavior as well as the uncertainty-work withdrawal behavior relationships. We discuss implications of these findings for research and practice.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	284-297
Number of pages	14
Journal	Leadership Quarterly
Volume	24
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2012.11.008
Publication status	Published - Feb 2013

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10.1016/j.leaqua.2012.11.008

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title = "Ethical leadership, employee citizenship and work withdrawal behaviors: Examining mediating and moderating processes",

abstract = "The present study examined the mediating and moderating processes in the relationship between ethical leadership and employee citizenship behavior as well as work withdrawal behavior using a sample of 277 employees and their supervisors from the People's Republic of China. Results revealed that ethical leadership negatively relates to politics perceptions and that politics perceptions partially mediate the negative influence of ethical leadership on uncertainty. We also found that uncertainty partially mediates the politics perceptions-emotional exhaustion relationship. Further, politics perceptions interact with political skill to influence emotional exhaustion through uncertainty. Finally, emotional exhaustion fully mediates the uncertainty-citizenship behavior as well as the uncertainty-work withdrawal behavior relationships. We discuss implications of these findings for research and practice.",

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N2 - The present study examined the mediating and moderating processes in the relationship between ethical leadership and employee citizenship behavior as well as work withdrawal behavior using a sample of 277 employees and their supervisors from the People's Republic of China. Results revealed that ethical leadership negatively relates to politics perceptions and that politics perceptions partially mediate the negative influence of ethical leadership on uncertainty. We also found that uncertainty partially mediates the politics perceptions-emotional exhaustion relationship. Further, politics perceptions interact with political skill to influence emotional exhaustion through uncertainty. Finally, emotional exhaustion fully mediates the uncertainty-citizenship behavior as well as the uncertainty-work withdrawal behavior relationships. We discuss implications of these findings for research and practice.

AB - The present study examined the mediating and moderating processes in the relationship between ethical leadership and employee citizenship behavior as well as work withdrawal behavior using a sample of 277 employees and their supervisors from the People's Republic of China. Results revealed that ethical leadership negatively relates to politics perceptions and that politics perceptions partially mediate the negative influence of ethical leadership on uncertainty. We also found that uncertainty partially mediates the politics perceptions-emotional exhaustion relationship. Further, politics perceptions interact with political skill to influence emotional exhaustion through uncertainty. Finally, emotional exhaustion fully mediates the uncertainty-citizenship behavior as well as the uncertainty-work withdrawal behavior relationships. We discuss implications of these findings for research and practice.

KW - Emotional exhaustion

KW - Employee behaviors

KW - Ethical leadership

KW - Politics perceptions

KW - Uncertainty

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Ethical leadership, employee citizenship and work withdrawal behaviors: Examining mediating and moderating processes

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