Exploring missing links between ethical leadership and multidimensional work behavior: the mediating role of multidimensional psychological ownership

ABSTRACT We investigated how employees’ perceptions of ethical leadership affects different facets of work behavior. We also explored the effects of psychological ownership on this relationship. Data were collected from 456 workers from various industries in Taiwan over three time periods. Ethical leadership positively related to both psychological ownership of the job and organization. Specifically, we found that psychological ownership of the job positively predicted contextual performance and was negatively associated with counterproductive work behavior. Additionally we found psychological ownership for the organization to be negatively associated with counterproductive work behavior for the organization.