Does ethical leadership predict follower outcomes above and beyond the full-range leadership model and authentic leadership?: An organizational commitment perspective

Abstract

Although cumulative evidence has shown that ethical leadership, as an emerging form of positive leadership, has beneficial effects on followers' work outcomes, the demand for identifying the unique effects of ethical leadership has been increasing due to its conceptual and empirical overlap with other similar forms of leadership. Responding to recent calls for scholarly attention to the predictive validity of ethical leadership, this study investigates the unique effects of ethical leadership that goes above and beyond the full-range leadership model (FRLM) and authentic leadership. Furthermore, drawing on Meyer and Herscovitch's (2001) model of organizational commitment, we examine the mediating effects of organizational commitment on the relationships among ethical leadership, task performance, and turnover intentions, while controlling for the FRLM and authentic leadership in two separate samples collected in South Korea. Our findings suggest that both affective and normative commitment mediate the posited relationships, even in the presence of the FRLM and authentic leadership. Theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.