Ethical Leadership, Employee Trust and Organizational Commitment as Determinants of Employee Performance

This study explored the effects of ethical leadership, employee trust, and organizational commitment on employee performance. The results showed that all three variables have a positive, significant effect on employee performance. The influence of ethical leadership on employee performance is developed through fairness, integrity, and accountability in the workplace. By contrast, ethical behavior by leaders and a supportive work environment result in employees performing better. Employee trust was found to be one of the biggest predictors of employee performance. Employees who have trust in their leaders are better collaboration partners, openly communicate and contribute to organizational goals. Trust is a bonding agent in the workplace and leads to efforts that go above and beyond. The findings also showed that organizational commitment has a positive effect on employee performance. Committed employees show greater retention, responsibility and dedication to their assigned tasks. Those employees are more likely to take that extra step to meet key organizational goals and project high performance. In conclusion, the study provides evidence that ethical leadership, employee trust and organizational commitment are all significant predictors of increasing employees performance. The unprecedented success of organizations can be attributed to ethical leadership practices and trust as well as commitment among individuals across all levels.

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