Ethical Leadership and Whistle-blowing Intentions: Mediating Role of Moral Identity

Abstract

Detachement of business practicess and ethics led to a number of business scandals and unethical practices in workplaces. This urged scholars and practioners to investigate importance of morality at workplace. This study has highlighted the role of ethical leaders in shaping whistleblowing intentions of their subordinates. Moreover, this study has also investiagted the role of moral identity. A total of four hypotheses, examining the direct effect of ethical leadership on moral identity and whistleblowing intentions and the mediationing role of moral identity were proposeed. This study adopted a timelagged study design and collected information from employee-peer dyads at three points in time. Data was gathered from 214 employees working in service sector. Results verified the role of ethical leaders in shaping moral identity of employees as well as their whistleblowing intentions. Alongwith, the findings also suggest that moral identity acts as an intervening mechanism between ethical leaadership and whistleblowing intentions. Moreover, this study has highlighted multiple avenues for future research.