How and when the ethical leadership influence employee career success

Abstract

This study determines the antecedent of employees’ career success. Literature on employees’ work-related predictors is well established but leaders’ work-related behavior is noticeably overlooked as an antecedent of employees’ career success. Additionally, the role of intervening mechanism in linking leaders’ acts and employees’ career success is yet to be fully examined. Based on social exchange theory and social learning theory, this study examines the influence of ethical leadership on employees’ career success. It investigates the mediating process of psychological empowerment and trust in the leader, among ethical leadership and employees’ career success. Furthermore, the moderating role of emotional exhaustion is also examined. Data is collected from 336 employees in the banking sector of Pakistan. The findings reveal that psychological empowerment and trust in the leader mediates the relations among ethical leadership and employees’ career success. Furthermore, the relation between ethical leadership and employees’ career success is moderated by emotional exhaustion. The practical and theoretical implications are presented.