Ethical leadership and followers' helping and initiative: The role of demonstrated responsibility and job autonomy

In this multisource study, we investigated a mediated moderation model proposing the moderating role of job autonomy and the mediating role of responsibility in the relationship of ethical leadership (subordinate rated) with helping and initiative (supervisor rated). In line with expectations, a study among 147 leader-follower dyads demonstrated that perceived job autonomy moderated the relationship of ethical leadership with both helping and initiative such that this relationship was positive when job autonomy was high, but not significant when job autonomy was low. This moderated relationship was mediated by the extent followers demonstrate responsibility at work. Responsibility fully mediated the moderated relationship of ethical leadership with follower initiative and partially mediated the moderated relationship of ethical leadership with follower helping behaviour.