Investigating the Costs and Benefits of Ethical Leadership for Leaders: A Dual-Path Mediation Through Leader Emotional Exhaustion and Employee Well-Being
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2025-07-07
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en
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This study investigated how ethical leadership influences leader well-being through two mediating mechanisms: leader emotional exhaustion and employee well-being. While ethical leadership is often linked to positive outcomes, its effects on leaders remain underexplored. Drawing on Role Stress Theory and Leader-Member Exchange Theory, this study integrated intrapersonal and interpersonal pathways to understand the psychological impact of ethical leadership. A parallel mediation model was tested using survey data from 183 supervisor-employee dyads across various industries in the Netherlands. Ethical leadership did not predict leader emotional exhaustion or employee well-being. However, leader emotional exhaustion was negatively related to leader well-being, and employee well-being was positively related to leader well-being. Despite these partial findings, neither hypothesized mediation effect was supported. The results suggest ethical leadership may not directly enhance leader well-being and emphasize the complexity of relational and psychological mechanisms. Practical implications include supporting leaders' mental health and tailoring leadership development to include emotional regulation and stress management. This study contributes to leadership literature by shifting the focus toward leaders as outcomes, highlighting the need for further research on how ethical leadership affects those in leadership roles.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen