Using ethical leadership to reduce job stress and improve performance quality in the hospitality industry

• Published in: International journal of hospitality management 2021-04, Vol.94, p.102860, Article 102860
• Main Authors: Schwepker, Charles H., Dimitriou, Christina K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Customer-Contact employees; Employee commitment to service quality; Ethical ambiguity; Ethical leadership; Job stress
• ISSN: 0278-4319; 1873-4693
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhm.2021.102860

•Ethical leadership is negatively related to both ethical ambiguity and job stress.•There is a positive relationship between ethical ambiguity and job stress.•There is a negative relationship between job stress and customer-contact employees’ performance quality.•Perceived ethical leadership behaviors positively influence performance quality. Given an increased call for examining ethics in the hospitality industry, this research examines how ethical leadership influences the job stress and performance quality of customer-contact employees in the hospitality industry. Results indicate that customer-contact employees’ views of their supervisor’s use of ethical leadership behaviors is related to lower levels of ethical ambiguity and job stress. Ethical ambiguity is positively associated with job stress, which is negatively associated with customer-contact employees’ performance quality. Perceived ethical leadership behaviors positively influence performance quality. Based on the findings, implications are provided for both theory and management, and directions for future research are offered.