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Unraveling the Effects of Ethical Leadership on Knowledge Sharing: The Mediating Roles of Subjective Well-Being and Social Media in the Hotel Industry

Author

Listed:
  • Misbah Hayat Bhatti

    (School of Management and Economics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China)

  • Umair Akram

    (Guanghua School of Management, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China)

  • Muhammad Hasnat Bhatti

    (School of Economics and Management, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116200, China)

  • Hassan Rasool

    (Department of Business Studies, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan)

  • Xin Su

    (School of Economics and Management, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunication, Beijing 100876, China)

Abstract

Given the pivotal function of ethical leadership (EL) in the hospitality industry, this study explains how moral guidance can help to reduce mental stress. The modern complex and hectic working style of organizations demands ethical conduct, in order to sustain the positive behavior of employees for knowledge sharing (KS). For this reason, in this study, we restrict our awareness to the usage of social media (SM) for social identity and aspects of subjective well-being (SWB) for happiness intensity. The time-lag method is applied for data collection from 406 supervisors and subordinates of the hotel industry in Pakistan. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and bootstrapping are utilized to scan the data. The results of the current study demonstrate that ethical leadership provides motivational strength for knowledge sharing amongst employees. Moreover, the serial mediation effects of subjective well-being and social media boost knowledge sharing by the induction of ethical values. Our findings indicate that knowledge sharing is an important product of subjective well-being and social media. Therefore, we recommend that managers focus on ethical leadership values and employee well-being (e.g., life satisfaction), as well as highlight the individuality of employees to promote knowledge sharing. The presented research adds to the literature by establishing a new connection between ethical leadership and knowledge sharing by opening the black box of contextual (i.e., ethical leadership) and developmental (i.e., subjective well-being and social media) factors.

Suggested Citation

  • Misbah Hayat Bhatti & Umair Akram & Muhammad Hasnat Bhatti & Hassan Rasool & Xin Su, 2020. "Unraveling the Effects of Ethical Leadership on Knowledge Sharing: The Mediating Roles of Subjective Well-Being and Social Media in the Hotel Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-20, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:20:p:8333-:d:425744
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    Cited by:

    1. Rita Paralta & Eduardo Simões & Ana Patrícia Duarte, 2023. "Subjective Well-Being in Organizations: Effects of Internal Ethical Context and Ethical Leadership," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-17, March.
    2. Xiaofeng Su & Wenhe Lin & Jingjing Wu & Qiuqin Zheng & Xiaoxia Chen & Xiaoli Jiang, 2021. "Ethical Leadership and Knowledge Sharing: The Effects of Positive Reciprocity and Moral Efficacy," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(2), pages 21582440211, June.
    3. Rafał Prusak & Monika Górska & Paulina Skalik-Lubieniecka, 2023. "Strategic Patterns in the Concept of Sustainable Development of Manufacturing Processes in the Field of Knowledge Management in Companies Operating in the Metal Industry in Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-28, September.
    4. Shilong Wei & Muhammad Safdar Sial & Wenxia Zhou & Alina Badulescu & Daniel Badulescu, 2021. "Improving the Environmental Footprint through Employees: A Case of Female Leaders from the Perspective of CSR," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-23, December.

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