The Importance of Ethics in Organisations, Their Leaders, and Sustainability

In modern organisations, ethical leadership has emerged as a key driver of sustainability, shaping both employee behaviour and long-term organisational performance. This study investigates the mechanisms through which ethical leadership fosters organisational sustainability, with a focus on the medi...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Caldeira, Rui, Infante Moro, Alfonso
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Huelva (UHU)
Repositorio:Arias Montano. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ariasmontano.uhu.es:10272/27185
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10272/27185
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Organisational ethics
Organisational culture
Leadership
Ethical leadership
Sustainability
5311 Organización y Dirección de Empresas
6114.12 Liderazgo
id ES_655e00bae783acc2b8052b9a8600a76d
oai_identifier_str oai:ariasmontano.uhu.es:10272/27185
network_acronym_str ES
network_name_str España
repository_id_str
spelling The Importance of Ethics in Organisations, Their Leaders, and SustainabilityCaldeira, RuiInfante Moro, AlfonsoOrganisational ethicsOrganisational cultureLeadershipEthical leadershipSustainability5311 Organización y Dirección de Empresas6114.12 LiderazgoIn modern organisations, ethical leadership has emerged as a key driver of sustainability, shaping both employee behaviour and long-term organisational performance. This study investigates the mechanisms through which ethical leadership fosters organisational sustainability, with a focus on the mediating role of organisational commitment. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was conducted in mainland Portugal between January 2024 and January 2025 with a sample of 285 employees from medium and large companies (48% male, 52% female). Ethical leadership was measured with the 10-item Ethical Leadership Scale (α = 0.94), organisational commitment with a 7-item validated scale (α = 0.91), and organisational sustainability with a 12-item scale capturing ethical climate and voluntary pro-environmental behaviours (α = 0.93). Data were analysed using structural equation modelling with maximum likelihood estimation and bootstrapping. Results support the hypothesised model, showing that ethical leadership positively predicts organisational commitment (β = 0.62, SE = 0.07, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.48, 0.75]) and organisational sustainability indirectly through commitment (indirect effect β = 0.31, SE = 0.06, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.20, 0.43]). Direct effects of ethical leadership on sustainability were weaker and non-significant once the mediator was included, confirming the centrality of commitment. Model fit indices indicated strong adequacy (CFI = 0.962, TLI = 0.954, RMSEA = 0.048, SRMR = 0.041). Theoretically, the findings reinforce the integration of ethical leadership theory with sustainability research, clarifying the role of commitment as a mediating mechanism. Practically, the study suggests that fostering ethical leadership behaviours—fair decision-making, role modelling, and integrity—can strengthen employee commitment, which in turn drives sustainable organisational practices. This highlights the importance of leadership development programmes centred on ethics as a strategic lever for long-term sustainability.MDPI20252025-09-0120252025-09-01journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501VoRhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85info:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/10272/27185reponame:Arias Montano. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelvainstname:Universidad de Huelva (UHU)Inglésengopen accesshttp://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2Attribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:ariasmontano.uhu.es:10272/271852026-06-02T14:58:11Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv The Importance of Ethics in Organisations, Their Leaders, and Sustainability
title The Importance of Ethics in Organisations, Their Leaders, and Sustainability
spellingShingle The Importance of Ethics in Organisations, Their Leaders, and Sustainability
Caldeira, Rui
Organisational ethics
Organisational culture
Leadership
Ethical leadership
Sustainability
5311 Organización y Dirección de Empresas
6114.12 Liderazgo
title_short The Importance of Ethics in Organisations, Their Leaders, and Sustainability
title_full The Importance of Ethics in Organisations, Their Leaders, and Sustainability
title_fullStr The Importance of Ethics in Organisations, Their Leaders, and Sustainability
title_full_unstemmed The Importance of Ethics in Organisations, Their Leaders, and Sustainability
title_sort The Importance of Ethics in Organisations, Their Leaders, and Sustainability
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Caldeira, Rui
Infante Moro, Alfonso
author Caldeira, Rui
author_facet Caldeira, Rui
Infante Moro, Alfonso
author_role author
author2 Infante Moro, Alfonso
author2_role author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Organisational ethics
Organisational culture
Leadership
Ethical leadership
Sustainability
5311 Organización y Dirección de Empresas
6114.12 Liderazgo
topic Organisational ethics
Organisational culture
Leadership
Ethical leadership
Sustainability
5311 Organización y Dirección de Empresas
6114.12 Liderazgo
description In modern organisations, ethical leadership has emerged as a key driver of sustainability, shaping both employee behaviour and long-term organisational performance. This study investigates the mechanisms through which ethical leadership fosters organisational sustainability, with a focus on the mediating role of organisational commitment. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was conducted in mainland Portugal between January 2024 and January 2025 with a sample of 285 employees from medium and large companies (48% male, 52% female). Ethical leadership was measured with the 10-item Ethical Leadership Scale (α = 0.94), organisational commitment with a 7-item validated scale (α = 0.91), and organisational sustainability with a 12-item scale capturing ethical climate and voluntary pro-environmental behaviours (α = 0.93). Data were analysed using structural equation modelling with maximum likelihood estimation and bootstrapping. Results support the hypothesised model, showing that ethical leadership positively predicts organisational commitment (β = 0.62, SE = 0.07, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.48, 0.75]) and organisational sustainability indirectly through commitment (indirect effect β = 0.31, SE = 0.06, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.20, 0.43]). Direct effects of ethical leadership on sustainability were weaker and non-significant once the mediator was included, confirming the centrality of commitment. Model fit indices indicated strong adequacy (CFI = 0.962, TLI = 0.954, RMSEA = 0.048, SRMR = 0.041). Theoretically, the findings reinforce the integration of ethical leadership theory with sustainability research, clarifying the role of commitment as a mediating mechanism. Practically, the study suggests that fostering ethical leadership behaviours—fair decision-making, role modelling, and integrity—can strengthen employee commitment, which in turn drives sustainable organisational practices. This highlights the importance of leadership development programmes centred on ethics as a strategic lever for long-term sustainability.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025
2025-09-01
2025
2025-09-01
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv journal article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
VoR
http://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
dc.type.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/10272/27185
url https://hdl.handle.net/10272/27185
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
eng
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
language eng
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
Attribution 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.rights.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
Attribution 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv MDPI
publisher.none.fl_str_mv MDPI
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Arias Montano. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
instname:Universidad de Huelva (UHU)
instname_str Universidad de Huelva (UHU)
reponame_str Arias Montano. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
collection Arias Montano. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
_version_ 1869409737427124224
score 15,81155

Similares en LA Referencia