Nicholus P Nkosi , Noel J. Pearse , Matolwandille M Mtotywa
Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between ethical leadership (EL) and organisational culture (OC), focusing on the mediating roles of organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) and unethical pro-organisational behaviour (UPB) within the context of a financial services company in Africa. Given that no empirical study had been performed on the combined mediating effect of OCB and UPB on the relationship between EL and OC, the research aimed to address this significant gap in the literature. Based on a sample of 194 employees from a financial services company, the results of the research affirmed that EL is positively and significantly related to OC, where EL is posited to enhance OC by fostering trust and collaboration among employees. Furthermore, OCB was found to mediate the relationship between EL and OC. This indicates that promoting OCB is essential for fostering a favourable OC. On the other hand, the results showed that UPB does not mediate the relationship between EL and OC. This research contributes to the understanding of how EL influences OC and highlights the importance of fostering OCB in organisational settings. Implications of these findings for theory and management are discussed.