The linkage between ethical leadership and lecturer job satisfaction at a private higher education institution in Vietnam

Abstract

The current study is intended to inspect the potential impact of ethical leadership practices (EL) of intermediate level administration (i.e., faculty deans, department heads) on lecturer job satisfaction (LJS) at a private higher education (HE) institution (UX) in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam. A conceptual framework linking EL and LJS was developed grounded on the ethical leadership conceptualizations of Brown et al. (2005), Kalshoven et al. (2011), and Langlois et al. (2014). Accordingly, ethical leadership works as a multidimensional construct encompassing a set of five values or explicit behaviors, i.e., care, critique, integrity, fairness, and ethical guidance. Further, the constructs and effects of EL on LJS are primarily conceptualized in light of Social Exchange Theory and Social Learning Theory. Primary quantitative data was collected through an anonymously self-administered survey of all 378 lecturers permanently employed at eight faculties at UX’s main campus via a non-probability purposive sampling method. The totality of 256 valid questionnaires yielded a response rate of 68% for stepwise data analysis with inferential statistical methods (i.e., internal reliability test, factor scores, correlation, and multiple regression). The regression findings reveal that all five dimensions of EL significantly positively explained the variance in job satisfaction as perceived by UX lecturers (p < .001). These findings suggest both theoretical and practical implications. The present study expands our understanding on ethical leadership by verifying its predictive power on the job satisfaction levels as self-reported by HE lecturers. Therein lies a conclusion that well-established ethical conducts for HE administration may assist them in making key decisions with care, fairness, critique, integrity, and ethical guidance.