Effects of ethical leadership on individual learning and unlearning: Mediation through affective commitment

Abstract

This study examines the effects of ethical leadership on individual unlearning, explorative learning, and exploitative learning. We test the mediating role of affective supervisory commitment in the relationship between ethical leadership and these three types of learning. Structural equation modeling and bootstrapping are used to test these interrelationships based on three-wave survey data collected from 508 employees at five dental and surgical manufacturing firms in Pakistan. The results show that ethical leadership positively affects unlearned, explorative, and exploitative learning. We also find that affective commitment significantly mediates the effects of ethical leadership on unlearning and explorative learning but not the effect of ethical leadership on exploitative learning. In addition to the theoretical implications, this study has practical implications, especially for managers who are concerned about employees’ destructive behaviors and practices and who want to enhance employees’ skills and knowledge, as well as their organizations’ knowledge base.