A Study on the Impact of Ethical Leadership on Employee Motivation to Engage in CSR Program

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is not just a trend but it is meaningful in building trust and making an impact in the world. However, CSR only works if employees are engaged and committed to CSR programming. This study looked at how ethical leadership encourages employees to proactively engage around CSR. Ethical leaders by their behaviors of fairness, honesty and the willingness to be transparent, serve as role models of the culture of the organization and embolden employees to connect their own personal values with the organization’s social mission. Using observations from 113 employees in various industries, we demonstrated a strong positive relationship between ethical leadership and employee engagement, specifically interest and participation in CSR activities. When ethical leaders showed consistent ethical behavior (or commitment to high ethical standards), employees said they felt more motivated and engaged on social issues. Which is evidence that value-based leadership adheres to the premise that it strengthens employee morale and heightens the chance of CSR initiative successes. This research advances the existing knowledge of CSR and leadership, as well as will provide practical recommendations to organizations that want to leverage their influence. Organizations that develop ethical leaders will create a setting in which regular establishment employees will have both, the motivation and capacity to change positively within the organization and outside.