Conceptualizing ethical leadership in Eastern cultural context and examining its impact on hotel employees’ voice behavior

ABSTRACT This study aimed to conceptualize ethical leadership (EL) in a hospitality context, grounded in Eastern philosophical foundation. Four studies consisting of both qualitative and quantitative were conducted, involving 732 hotel employees from 11 hotels. Study one used literature review, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussion to conceptualize ethical leadership as a four-dimensional construct, including moral person, employee care, moral management, and social responsibility. Three empirical studies were employed (study 2–4) to examine the psychometric properties of the proposed scale, including content, convergent, discriminant, concurrent and nomological validity. A nomological framework was examined, in which ethical leadership was proposed to influence employee voice behavior via employee psychological safety and leader-member exchange. This study enriches ethical leadership literature and provides a reliable and valid measuring tool for hospitality scholars interested in studying leadership in Eastern cultures. It also provides insights for hotel managers to develop and enhance ethical leadership skills.