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Do Ethical Leaders Give Followers the Confidence to Go the Extra Mile? The Moderating Role of Intrinsic Motivation

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Abstract

Based on social cognitive theory, this paper explored the cognitive mechanism between ethical leadership and the followers’ extra-role performance. We tested a moderated mediation model in which general self-efficacy mediated the relationship between ethical leadership and the employee extra-role performance, while intrinsic motivation moderated the relationship between ethical leadership and subordinate’s general self-efficacy. Data were collected in two waves from 208 dyads. Results supported the time-lagged effect of ethical leadership on individual extra-role performance and the mediating role of general self-efficacy. Moreover, our findings revealed that intrinsic motivation positively moderated the effect of ethical leadership on general self-efficacy. Furthermore, intrinsic motivation also moderated the indirect effect of ethical leadership on extra-role performance via general self-efficacy. Theoretical and practical implications were further discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by and 2014–2015 International Scholar Exchange Fellowship program of Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 71402127; 71172203).

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  1. School of Economics and Management, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of China

    Yidong Tu

  2. School of Labor and Human Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

    Xinxin Lu

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Tu, Y., Lu, X. Do Ethical Leaders Give Followers the Confidence to Go the Extra Mile? The Moderating Role of Intrinsic Motivation. J Bus Ethics 135, 129–144 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2463-6

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