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• Develop a coherent critique of the article chosen:
• Summary
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• Recommendations for future expansion of research and the extent to which the contents of the paper relate to the UAE or can be implemented in the UAE context

Orientation: Work engagement is increasingly becoming an important outcome for organisational
success. A trusting and ethical relationship between leaders and followers is likely to positively
contribute to the work engagement of employees.
Research purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between ethical
leadership and trust in the leader and the effect these constructs have on the work engagement
of employees.
Motivation for the study: The study on the role of ethical leadership practices on employee
engagement was motivated by the need to create an engaged workforce and a trusting work
environment.
Research approach, design and method: Data was collected using an electronic web-based
questionnaire comprising three scales, namely the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES),
Leader Trust Scale (LTS) and the Leadership of Ethics Scale (LES). In total, 204 completed
questionnaires were returned. Data was analysed by means of item and confirmatory factor
analysis conducted via structural equation modelling (SEM).
Main findings: High levels of reliability were found for all the measurement scales used. The
results from the structural equation modelling (SEM) indicated positive relationships between
trust in the leader and work engagement, between ethical leadership and work engagement
and between ethical leadership and trust in the leader.
Practical/managerial implications: The findings emphasise the role played by ethical
leadership behaviour of managers in promoting work engagement through the creation of
employee relationships anchored on trust. Future studies should develop the theoretical
model further by identifying other variables that influence work engagement.
Contribution/value-add: Organisations today still face the challenge of developing an effective
strategy for achieving work engagement. The ethical leadership style of managers is likely to
create an ethical and trusting work climate conducive to the work engagement of employees.
This is likely to enhance productivity as well as employee creativity and innovation.
Authors:
Amos S. Engelbrecht1
Gardielle Heine1
Bright Mahembe2
Affiliations:
1Department of Industrial
Psychology, Stellenbosch
University, South Africa
2Department of Industrial
Psychology, University of the
Western Cape, South Africa
Correspondence to:
Amos Engelbrecht
Email:
ase@sun.ac.za
Postal address:
Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch
7602, South Africa
Dates
Received: 15 Mar. 2014
Accepted: 31 Aug. 2014
Published: 26 Nov. 2014
How to cite this article:
Engelbrecht, A.S, Heine,
G., & Mahembe, B. (2014).
The influence of ethical
leadership on trust and
work engagement: An
exploratory study. SA Journal
of Industrial Psychology/
SA Tydskrif vir
Bedryfsielkunde, 40(1), Art.
#1210, 9 pages. http://
dx.doi.org/10.4102/sajip.
v40i1.1210
The influence of ethical leadership on trust and work
engagement: An exploratory study
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http://www.sajip.co.za/ doi:10.4102/sajip.v40i1.1210
Page 2 of 9 Original Research
and ethical leadership are linked with trust. Transformational
leadership not only involves the moral elevation of individual
followers, but also the creation of mutual trust and an ethical
climate in organisations (Engelbrecht & Chamberlain, 2005;
Van Aswegen & Engelbrecht, 2009). In ethical leadership, the
emphasis is more on normative behaviour whereas servant
leadership has a stronger focus on the personal growth of
followers (Dadhich & Bhal, 2008; Sendjaya & Pekerti, 2010). The
core aspects of authentic leadership are the manifestation of
increased self-awareness, relational transparency, internalised
transparency, balanced processing and an internalised moral
perspective, which may lead to trust in leadership (Gardner,
Avolio, Luthans, May & Walumbwa, 2005). Value-driven
leadership influences the followers’ self-concept and beliefs,
which, in turn, affect their motivation, attitudes and behaviours
(Den Hartog & Belschak, 2012).
One of the value-based leadership styles that comprise these
elements is ethical leadership. Ethical leadership is critical to
leaders’ credibility and their potential to exert meaningful
influence (Piccolo, Greenbaum, Den Hartog & Folger, 2010).
This credibility in ethical leaders is likely to have a significant
influence on trust between a leader and follower (Bellingham,
2003). Ethical leadership leads to valuable outcomes in itself.
It has an impact on organisational effectiveness by increasing
top-management effectiveness, follower performance and
job satisfaction (Eisenbeiß & Giessber, 2012). Because ethical
leadership affects the relationships in the organisation as
well as other organisational outcomes, it is also likely to have
a positive effect on the work engagement of employees.
Aim of the study
Work engagement is the driver behind an organisation’s
competitiveness and success, in that an engaged employee
demonstrates the willingness to put extra effort into the work
and to reach optimal performance. The importance of work
engagement has to be emphasised in order to encourage
organisations to invest in this valuable phenomenon as well
as in the different elements that contribute to and enrich
work engagement. Because the relationship between leaders
and followers is so important in the company, trust and
leadership are key aspects that should be considered in this
case, especially when it can contribute to the presence of the
work engagement of employees.
Ethical leadership is considered important because it
promotes effective interaction between leaders and their
followers by focusing on ethical behaviour in the workplace.
According to Brown and Trevino (2006), ethical leaders are
perceived as honest and trustworthy, which is necessary
for healthy working relationships and may have a positive
impact on work outcomes. The research objective of this
study, therefore, was to make use of sound theoretical research
and logical reasoning to analyse the influence of ethical
leadership on trust in leaders and the work engagement of
employees. The further aim was to validate a theoretical
model that explicates the structural relationships between
these variables in the South African business context.
The relationship between trust and work
engagement
Work engagement is found when an employee is fully
dedicated to the work through focused energy or vigour
and a ‘positive fulfilling, work related state of mind’ or
absorption (Schaufeli, Salanova, Gonzalez-Roma & Bakker,
2002, p. 74). Work engagement, therefore, is an indication
that the employee is intrigued by the job and is truly willing
to contribute to the organisation’s success (Albrecht, 2010).
Rousseau, Sitkin, Burt and Camerer (1998, p. 395) view
trust as ‘… a psychological state comprising the intention to
accept vulnerability based upon positive expectations of the
intentions or behaviour of another’. When employees trust
the leader, they expect that the leader will behave in a way
that is favourable and acceptable to the employees and that
the employees can entrust their work-life to the control of the
leader.
When employees trust their leaders, they also assume the
assurance that their leaders are fair in their behaviour and
decisions. When the employees perceive the leaders as fair
in the distribution of rewards and the treatment of their
efforts, trust in the leaders will increase. Albrecht (2010)
proposes that employees will engage in their work when the
procedures and systems in the organisation are perceived as
trustworthy, predictable and sensible.
In a study that was done on the effect that downsizing had
on trust in an organisation, it was found that employees who
experience an increase in trust also experience an increase
in work engagement. The process that developed trust,
therefore, contributed to higher levels of work engagement
(Buckley, 2011). Wong, Spence-Laschinger and Cummings
(2010) confirmed through their study that trust has a direct
positive effect on work engagement (β = 0.19; p < 0.001). They
indicated that increased trust includes the free exchange of
knowledge, ideas and information and that this trust will lead
to a climate in which employees are engaged in their work.
It can, therefore, be hypothesised that an employee’s trust in
a leader has a positive influence on the work engagement of
employees.
The relationship between ethical leadership and
work engagement
Employees will experience work engagement when they
are committed to the work, enjoy the work and will go to
extra trouble for the work. Macey, Schneider, Barbera and
Young (2009) propose that work engagement results when
employees have the capacity, the motivation, the freedom and
the knowledge to engage. Ethical leadership presents different
characteristics which can be associated with work engagement
in terms of the line of reasoning of Macey et al. (2009).
Employees, firstly, have the capacity to engage when
organisations provide the necessary information and training
opportunities to do the job well, as well as a supporting
structure which contributes to the employee’s ability to
Page 3 of 9 Original Research
http://www.sajip.co.za/ doi:10.4102/sajip.v40i1.1210
perform (Macey et al., 2009). Ethical leaders provide certain job
resources for the employees that assist them in the execution
of their work such as effective performance feedback and
necessary information to do the job. According to Bakker and
Demerouti (2008), these resources are positively associated
with work engagement because they provide employees
with the necessary assistance to be exceptional in their jobs.
Secondly, employees will be motivated to engage in their
work when they are treated with respect and are valued by
the organisation (Macey et al., 2009). According to Kim and
Brymer (2011), the behaviour of ethical leaders leads to the
follower’s work satisfaction because they are treated fairly and
experience care and support, which leads to positive follower
attitudes. Highly satisfied employees will be motivated and
willing to apply extra effort because they are more committed
to delivering high-quality work (Kim & Brymer, 2011).
Thirdly, when an employee has the freedom to make
decisions and take action without consulting the supervisor
all the time, it can result in work engagement (Macey et al.,
2009). Bellingham (2003) states that ethical leaders want to
empower employees through training and support, and
they want to provide freedom to their employees to show
initiative through responsibility and authority. This provides
a clear indication that ethical leaders provide the freedom for
employees to engage in their work.
Lastly, as indicated by Macey et al. (2009), employees will
engage in their work when they know what the strategic
priorities of the organisation are and how they contribute to
the company’s goals through their work. Ethical leaders care
about their followers and engage in frequent communication
with their employees (Brown & Trevino, 2006). These leaders
take their followers into consideration and, through frequent
communication, make it clear what the organisation’s goals
are and what is expected of them.
Tims et al. (2011) found a positive relationship between
transformational leadership and the follower’s daily
work engagement (t = 2.33; p < 0.05). They further refer to
transformational leadership as practised by a leader with
‘individual consideration and support’ for the employee
(Tims et al., 2011, p. 122). Wong et al. (2010) indicated the
positive relationship between authentic leadership and work
engagement. Both transformational and authentic leadership
can be associated with ethical leadership because they are
viewed as value-based leadership, which has a positive
influence on the followers’ work engagement.
Through regression analysis, Den Hartog and Belschak (2012)
confirmed that ethical leadership has a positive relationship
with work engagement (β = 0.54; p < 0.01). They argue that
the ‘… emphasis on shared moral values and the honesty,
caring and fairness modelled by ethical leaders will foster
employees’ work engagement’ (Den Hartog & Belschak,
2012, p. 35). They found that followers tend to report higher
engagement in their work when they perceive their leaders
as acting ethically. It can consequently be hypothesised that
ethical leadership has a positive influence on the employee’s
work engagement.
The relationship between ethical
leadership and trust in the leader
An employee will trust a leader if the leader is trustworthy and
if the leader displays characteristics of trustworthiness such
as honesty, kindness, generosity and acceptance (Zeffane,
2010). Ethical leadership comprises different characteristics
that are evident in the trust relationship between a leader and
a follower.
According to Brown and Trevino (2006, p. 597), ethical
leaders are characterised as ‘… honest, caring and principled
individuals who make fair and balanced decisions’. They
further indicate that such leaders communicate ethics to their
employees and set clear standards regarding how things
should be done in the organisation. Ethical leaders also have
the courage to transform their moral intentions into ethical
behaviour, which can be referred to as a high behavioural
consistency (Zhu, May & Avolio, 2004). When employees
perceive this consistency, trust in the leader will result.
Ethical leadership involves employees in decision-making
procedures and facilitates well-being and potential growth of
the employees (Zhu et al., 2004). Employees will be inclined
to trust ethical leaders because of their credibility and
trustworthy behaviour. Dadhich and Bhal (2008) found that
affective trust (the emotional bond between individuals) and
cognitive trust (where trust is required in cases of imperfect
knowledge) are predicted by ethical leadership. Van den
Akker, Heres, Lasthuizen and Six (2009) found that ethical
leadership is significantly related to the level of trust that the
follower places in the leader.
Johnson, Shelton and Yates (2012) reported a positive
relationship (r = 796; p < 0.01) between ethical leadership
and organisational trust. Wong et al. (2010) also found that
authentic leadership has a positive direct effect on trust (β =
0.43; p < 0.001). Authentic leadership is displayed by leaders
who strive to relate to their followers with openness and
truthfulness. These characteristics are also part of ethical
leadership, which indicates the possible positive influence of
ethical leadership on trust.
When employees exhibit the willingness to trust the leader
and when an ethical leader establishes a basis of trust, the
employee will also be inclined to trust the work environment
and the organisation. It can thus be hypothesised that ethical
leadership leads to employees’ trust in the leader.
Conceptual model
Based on the in-depth literature review and theoretical
arguments presented above, a structural model was
formulated, showing the postulated relationships between
ethical leadership, trust and work engagement. Ethical
leadership is portrayed as the independent or exogenous
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