MEDIATING INFLUENCES OF ETHICAL LEADERSHIP ON EMPLOYEE CREATIVITY

Since the global financial crisis in the first decade of the 21st century, ethical leadership has emerged as a form of organizational management that promotes employee well-being, positive citizenship behaviors, and innovation. In this study, we examined the relationship between ethical leadership and employee creativity in Chinese businesses. We hypothesized the mediating roles of psychological empowerment and willingness to take risks in the relationship between ethical leadership and employee creativity. Survey data were collected from 380 employee-supervisor pairs working in 8 businesses across 5 sectors of the economy. The results indicated that, as hypothesized, a positive relationship exists between ethical leadership and employee creative behaviors. Psychological empowerment and willingness to take risks were found to partially mediate this relationship. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.