Social Learning Theory
Basic Provisions
As a relevant theory associated with ethical leadership in organizations and the ability to maintain a favorable microclimate in teams, social learning theory may be reviewed. According to Mo and Shi (2017), who analyze this concept in relation to organizational performance, employees tend to show greater trust and loyalty to leaders who adhere to ethical principles of interaction. The authors also provide empirical results from evaluating the application of this concept; as they note, “employees with high organizational concern motives are more likely to put the goals of the organization and coworkers ahead of their own goals,” which is achieved through ethical leadership (Mo & Shi, 2017, p. 152). In this context, social learning theory plays an essential role as a framework that acts as a stimulus for the adoption of appropriate behaviors and interaction mechanisms in a team and promotes productive communication through a role model of effective and ethical leadership.
While taking into account the provisions of this theory, leaders act as coordinators who shape the appropriate principles of interaction in a team, which, in turn, meet the goals and objectives of a particular organization. One of the hypotheses proposed by Mo and Shi (2017) is that ethical leadership positively influences employee organizational behavior. Empirical findings also confirm that this form of interaction in a team influences “employees’ motivational orientation that emphasizes achieving an organization’s desired end-states” (Mo & Shi, 2017, p. 153). The hypothesis of a positive correlation between ethical leadership and sustainable organizational behavior is supported by comparing performance outcomes under different operating conditions. Authoritarian principles of control over subordinates are characterized by weak organizational commitment, and ethical leadership, in turn, encourages engagement and, therefore, productive communication (Mo & Shi, 2017). Thus, the rationale for applying social learning theory to improve performance and improve organizational behavior is measurable and can prove the effectiveness of such a personnel management strategy.
To test the hypothesis of the positive impact of social learning theory as a methodology for promoting ethical leadership, one can review Figure 1 that presents the mechanism of interaction between the variables involved. As an independent variable, social learning theory is presented, which is determined by creating conditions to stimulate appropriate behaviors. As a dependent variable, positive organizational behavior is suggested, which includes such characteristics as commitment, performance, team trust, and other aspects associated with an effective work environment. This scheme highlights the impact of the considered concept on the microclimate and productivity in the team and proves that organizational behavior is a flexible variable that is influenced by appropriate incentives.
Given the proposed relationship, social learning theory may be assessed as a concept associated with positive manifestations of organizational behavior in the case of effective application. Leaders’ task is to create an environment in which subordinates adopt and adapt appropriate behavioral skills and, at the same time, realize their significance in relation to the tasks set. Ethical leadership, in this case, is the background for the productive use of the theory. As Mo and Shi (2017) argue, without such a control principle, risks of conflict arise due to inadequate distribution of responsibilities and employees’ distinctive views on the operational process. Therefore, to implement social learning theory in the organizational environment, managers should promote ethical forms of interaction with subordinates to avoid misunderstandings and achieve trust and high performance.
Article Analysis
As a relevant article using social learning theory as a concepts that reveals the principles of ethical leadership and its impact on employee outcomes, the paper by Kacmar et al. (2013) will be reviewed. In their study, the authors correlate this concept with the impacts on organizational behavior and propose related hypotheses regarding the interaction between ethical leadership variables and perceptions of politics, or POP (Kacmar et al., 2013). Through empirical tests, specific correlations between the variables under consideration have been identified. Firstly, as the researchers state, “perceptions of unethical leadership trigger individuals’ POP” (Kacmar et al., 2013, p. 41). This means that unethical principles of control over the activities of colleagues and subordinates are associated with little trust in decisions promoted at the managerial level. Secondly, Kacmar et al. (2013) note that ethical leadership is not necessarily associated with rewards because staff incentives in the face of inadequate control do not have the same impact on performance as ethical controls, as evidenced empirically. As a result, social learning theory correlates with ethical leadership effectively and shows little effect in an authoritarian leadership environment with poor interprofessional interaction.
In relation to the research proposal, the logical model for performing the necessary work involves identifying positive correlations between ethical leadership and the impacts on employee performance through the concept of social learning as one of the effective organizational theories. The conditions for compliance with the necessary leadership practices will be considered in the context of the impacts on such significant characteristics as productivity, trust, involvement, mutual support, and other aspects of organizational behavior. The proposed correlations will be evaluated from the perspective of empirical findings.
Designing a Test
Experimental vs. Non-Experimental Design
For the planned work to identify the impact of ethical leadership on employee outcomes, the following research question may be relevant: How does ethical leadership, implemented in the context of organizational policies, influence employee outcomes and the manifestation of relevant skills in the work process? To test this question, one can compare experimental and non-experimental research designs to determine the best approach to the research process.
The key difference between the claimed designs is the use of variables as assessment frames. As an example of a non-experimental design, one can consider the study by Alkaabi and Wong (2019), who use a survey algorithm as a key strategy for analyzing the relationship between ethical leadership and aspects of manager incivility and employee trust. This approach is intended to prove the claimed correlations empirically and utilize the respondents’ answers as the main data source for the assessment. In the case of the planned research, this approach could be applied through interaction with employees of an individual organization. This design assumes a qualitative research mechanism since the main results are obtained through the responses of the target audience and the analysis of their views.
An experimental design, in turn, involves using a dependent variable(s) to prove relevant correlations. An example of this design is provided in the study by Eva et al. (2018). They state that this approach reduces “concerns with reverse causality where an employee’s duty orientation may influence their perceptions of the support provided by the organization due to their duty to the mission, and ethical leadership of their manager through their duty to members” (Eva et al., 2018, p. 637). The main principle of such a principle is the application of control variables to reveal their effects on the dependent variables. To answer the research question posed, an experimental design is a preferred approach because ethical leadership is an independent variable, and related organizational behavior criteria, such as trust, commitment, performance, and some others, are dependent ones.
To avoid challenges and errors caused by misestimating reported correlations for the planned study, this is crucial to consider possible threats to internal validity. Given the findings by Flannelly et al. (2018), from the list of the threats proposed by the authors, history, instrument decay, and statistical regression may be highlighted. The first of them concerns the experience of the participants involved, which may influence their decision; the second one has to do with measurement changes in, therefore, skewed totals; the third one represents shifts in statistical results because participants may not be willing to change views during the study’s course (Flannelly et al., 2018). From the standpoints of experimental and non-experimental designs, different measures can be applied to address these potential threats.
In a study with a non-experimental design, the threat of history can be addressed by engaging employees who have been working in a particular organization relatively recently. This can help eliminate the influence of external experiences on their views and perceptions of the stated problem. With respect to the threat of instrument decay, a reliable measurement program should be applied, for instance, digital scoring algorithms, to avoid misinterpretation of the data analyzed. To solve the issue of statistical regression, several groups of participants can be involved to eliminate subjectivity in the data reporting and obtain as accurate results as possible.
Under an experimental study, the methods for avoiding the aforementioned threats to internal validity may offer additional safety solutions. To avoid the threat of history, participant selection can be based on the principle of selective sampling, taking into account not only work experience but also individual characteristics, such as age or marital status. The problem of instrument decay is addressed through the use of alternative data evaluation mechanisms, which can be conceptual frameworks designed specifically for a particular study. Finally, the threat of statistical regression can be avoided by constructing multiple scoring scales in which the resulting data is distributed in accordance with multiple test sessions.
Article Analysis
The research by Moore et al. (2019) is a work that studies ethical leadership from the standpoint of influencing such crucial aspects of the organizational process as employee behavior and moral cognition. As a research framework, the authors use experimental design as an approach that helps them “investigate its causal effect on employee moral disengagement, and subsequent unethical behavior” (Moore et al., 2019, p. 129). Decision-making simulation is a practice that is designed to test how ethical leadership promoted by the management influences the designated indicators. Such a method allows approaching the study outside the box and identifying the desired connections by utilizing an individually designed system. The practical significance of this study is high because, through an experimental design, Moore et al. (2019) reveal how organizational behavior can be improved with the help of adequate leadership initiatives based on the ethical principles of interaction. Thus, the design in question is consistent with the objectives set and is a convenient methodology to test the correlations between the declared variables.
References
Alkaabi, O., & Wong, C. (2019). Relationships among authentic leadership, manager incivility and trust in the manager. Leadership in Health Services, 33(1), 27-42.
Eva, N., Newman, A., Miao, Q., Wang, D., & Cooper, B. (2018). Antecedents of duty orientation and follower work behavior: The interactive effects of perceived organizational support and ethical leadership. Journal of Business Ethics, 161(3), 627-639.
Flannelly, K. J., Flannelly, L. T., & Jankowski, K. R. (2018). Threats to the internal validity of experimental and quasi-experimental research in healthcare. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy, 24(3), 107-130.
Kacmar, K. M., Andrews, M. C., Harris, K. J., & Tepper, B. J. (2013). Ethical leadership and subordinate outcomes: The mediating role of organizational politics and the moderating role of political skill. Journal of Business Ethics, 115(1), 33-44.
Mo, S., & Shi, J. (2017). Linking ethical leadership to employees’ organizational citizenship behavior: Testing the multilevel mediation role of organizational concern. Journal of Business Ethics, 141(1), 151-162.
Moore, C., Mayer, D. M., Chiang, F. F., Crossley, C., Karlesky, M. J., & Birtch, T. A. (2019). Leaders matter morally: The role of ethical leadership in shaping employee moral cognition and misconduct. Journal of Applied Psychology, 104(1), 123-145.