The Linkage between Ethical Leadership, Well-Being, Work Engagement, and Innovative Work Behavior: The Empirical Evidence from the Higher Education Sector of China

Kan Jia; Tianlun Zhu; Weiwei Zhang; Samma Faiz Rasool; Ali Asghar; Tachia Chin

doi:10.3390/ijerph19095414

The Linkage between Ethical Leadership, Well-Being, Work Engagement, and Innovative Work Behavior: The Empirical Evidence from the Higher Education Sector of China

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Apr 29;19(9):5414. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19095414.

Authors

Kan Jia¹, Tianlun Zhu¹, Weiwei Zhang², Samma Faiz Rasool¹, Ali Asghar³, Tachia Chin¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Management, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China.
² School of Cultural Creativity and Management, Communication University of Zhejiang, Hangzhou 310019, China.
³ Dr. Hassan Murad School of Management, University of Management and Technology, Lahore 54770, Pakistan.

Abstract

In this study, we investigate the relationship between ethical leadership (EL), work engagement (WE), well-being, and innovative work behavior (IWB). The significance of these variables has increased in the current era when the influence of technology is exponentially increasing in the education sector. We investigate the role of ethical leadership in determining innovative work behavior. Moreover, we investigate the moderating effect of WB in the relationship between EL and WE. We also examine the mediating impact of WE in the relationship between EL and IWB. We used a questionnaire survey approach to collect data. The target population of this study was the academic personnel, i.e., senior professors, lecturers, and supporting staff associated with the higher education sector located in Zhejiang Province, China. Data were collected in two phases. In the first phase, we sent 300 research questionnaires and received 251 responses. In the second phase, after a three-month interval, we sent 200 questionnaires and received 162 responses. However, over the two phases, we collected a total of 413 questionnaires; 43 were discarded. Therefore, for analysis, we used 370 questionnaires. The data were analyzed using the structural equation modeling through SmartPLS 3.2.2. First, in the direct relationship, results confirm that EL positively influences the IWB. Secondly, WB has a positive and moderating relationship between EL and IWB. Thirdly, we address the relationship between EL and WE. The outcome indicates that there is a positive and significant relationship. Fourth, the results of this study indicate that there is positive and significant relationship between WE and IWB. Finally, the outcomes imply that WE positively mediates between EL and IWB. Ethical leadership and well-being are important for innovative work behavior that supports managers in introducing a supportive workplace environment that promotes good interpersonal relationships with subordinates. Therefore, a good interpersonal relationship between managers and subordinates enhances the work quality. So, ethical leaders provide a supportive work environment to all subordinates regarding their work.

Keywords: ethical leadership; higher education; innovative work behavior; well-being; work engagement.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

China
Humans
Leadership*
Morals
Work Engagement*
Workplace

Grants and funding

This paper is supported by the Organizational Capability and Leadership Improvement Project of the Changchun New Oriental Education Training School (SKY-HX-202001933), Organization Leadership Improvement Project of the Chinese Institute of Business Administration (SKY-HX-20210188), Binjiang-the Road to A Better Life Project (SKY-HX-20210158) and Project of Employment Environment Satisfaction, Dilemma and Demand of Taiwan Compatriots in Mainland China (SKY-ZX-20210049).