Examining the Role of Ethical Leadership in Shaping Employee Behaviour in Bhutanese Government Agencies
Keywords:
Counterproductive behaviour, Ethical leadership, Moral awareness, Motivation, Organizational misbehaviour, Prosocial behaviour, WorkplaceAbstract
In the address at the opening ceremony of the 8th session of the Third Parliament in 2023, His Majesty the King raised significant concerns regarding the achievement of national goals amidst management and administrative challenges. His Majesty emphasized the need for accountability, highlighting substantial waste cabnused by structural inefficiencies. To address these issues and align with His Majesty's vision, fostering ethical competencies among leaders is essential. These competencies—such as integrity, fairness, transparency, and accountability—are critical for cultivating a culture of ethics and combating corruption, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of Bhutanese agencies and organizations.
This study examines the influence of ethical leadership on employee workplace behaviour in government agencies in Bhutan. A quantitative analysis of survey data from 366 respondents reveals a strong positive relationship between supervisors' ethical leadership qualities and employees' perceptions of them as role models (p<0.05). Respondents who view their supervisors as demonstrating ethical traits, such as honesty and fairness, report significantly lower engagement in negative workplace behaviours. Furthermore, ethical leadership is positively associated with specific aspects of positive organizational behaviour, including improved decision-making, increased motivation, and enhanced prosocial actions among employees. These findings underscore the pivotal role of ethical leadership in fostering a more accountable and high-performing public sector in Bhutan.
