Ethical Leadership in the Digital Age: Governance, Trust, and Employee Decision-Making in Tech-Driven Industries
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53797/ujssh.v4i1.50.2025Keywords:
Ethical Leadership, Digital Ethics, Organizational Governance, Employee Trust, Tech IndustryAbstract
This study examines the critical role of ethical leadership in navigating the complex ethical landscape of tech-driven industries, focusing on its influence over organizational governance, stakeholder trust, and employee decision-making. Recognizing a significant research gap in integrated analyses within this rapidly evolving sector, a quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed. Data from a hypothetical survey of 350 tech employees, utilizing established and adapted scales for ethical leadership, governance effectiveness, employee trust, perceived customer trust, and employee ethical decision-making, were analyzed. Hypothetical findings reveal that perceived ethical leadership is a strong and statistically significant positive predictor across all dependent variables. Notably, it demonstrated the strongest influence on employee trust, while also significantly impacting ethical governance effectiveness and fostering employee ethical decision-making. A positive association with perceived customer trust was also observed. These results underscore ethical leadership as a fundamental driver for cultivating a culture of integrity, ensuring robust ethical governance, and building crucial internal and external trust, which are paramount for responsible innovation and sustainability in the digital age. The study concludes with implications for practice and calls for future longitudinal and mixed-methods research to explore causal pathways and contextual nuances.
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