Ethical Leadership as a Predictor of Work Deviance Among Public Sector Workers in Administrative Offices in the Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach

Abstract

The study focused on ethical leadership and work behaviours of public sector workers in administrative offices in Ghana. The quantitative cross-sectional survey was adopted to survey all public sector workers in active service. Ninety-two respondents were recruited online for the study. Data for the study were gathered using adapted ethical leadership and work deviance scales. Data collected were analyzed inferentially using the structural equation modelling (SEM) approach. The study revealed that people orientation (b=.222, p=.000), fairness (b=.351, p=.000), concern for sustainability (b=.432, p=.000), and ethical guidance (b=-.287, p=.000) significantly predicted work deviance. The study concluded that a high ethical leadership style could either maximize or minimize the likelihood of deviant work behaviour at the workplace. It is recommended that public sector leaders should first identify the root cause of work deviance in the workplaces within the Metropolis and put measures such as positive rewards, effective supervision, and infusion of ethical programmes into the workplace culture to minimize work deviance among administrative officers.