Purpose

The objective of this study is to examine the predicting role of Machiavellianism, locus of control and moral identity on ethical leadership. This study also assessed the moderating role of ethical role modelling in the linkage between Machiavellianism, locus of control, moral identity and ethical leadership.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 202 public service leaders in Malaysia participated in the study. A quantitative study was conducted and structural equation modelling was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Moral identity poses a substantial influence on ethical leadership. Ethical role modelling is a significant moderator in the association between moral identity and ethical leadership.

Research limitations/implications

This study contributes to the social learning theory by assessing Machiavellianism, locus of control and moral identity as the predictors of ethical leadership among public service leaders in Malaysia. Future study can be further extended to both managerial and support staff to understand the ethical phenomenon in Malaysian public sector.

Practical implications

The study highlights the need for public sector to give considerable attention to moral identity in boosting ethical leadership among public service leaders in Malaysia's public sector. Furthermore, the element of ethical role modelling should not be neglected as this factor is a valid moderator in nurturing ethical leadership among public service leaders.

Originality/value

The study deepens the knowledge on the importance of ethical role modelling as a moderator in assessing the influence of the predictors on ethical leadership. Further, this study demonstrates that public service leaders who reported high moral identity would have higher ethical leadership if they experienced good ethical role modelling.

中文翻译：

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马来西亚公共服务领导者的马基雅维利主义、控制点、道德认同和道德领导：道德榜样的调节作用

目的

本研究的目的是检验马基雅维利主义、控制点和道德认同对道德领导的预测作用。本研究还评估了道德角色建模在马基雅维利主义、控制点、道德认同和道德领导之间的联系中的调节作用。

设计/方法/方法

马来西亚共有 202 名公共服务领导人参与了这项研究。进行了定量研究，并使用结构方程模型来检验假设。

发现

道德认同对道德领导力产生重大影响。道德角色塑造是道德认同和道德领导之间关联的重要调节因素。

研究限制/影响

本研究通过评估马基雅维利主义、控制点和道德认同作为马来西亚公共服务领导者道德领导力的预测指标，为社会学习理论做出贡献。未来的研究可以进一步扩展到管理人员和支持人员，以了解马来西亚公共部门的道德现象。

实际影响

该研究强调了公共部门需要相当重视道德认同，以提高马来西亚公共部门公共服务领导者的道德领导力。此外，道德榜样的要素不应被忽视，因为这一因素是在公共服务领导者中培养道德领导力的有效调节因素。

原创性/价值

该研究加深了对道德角色建模作为评估预测因素对道德领导的影响的调节的重要性的认识。此外，这项研究表明，如果他们经历了良好的道德榜样，报告高道德认同的公共服务领导将具有更高的道德领导力。