The Influence of Ethical Leadership on Turnover Intention and Actual Turnover in U.S. Federal Agencies

This study investigates the relationship between ethical leadership and employee turnover within U.S. federal agencies. Ethical leadership can be characterized by leaders’ adherence to ethical values such as honesty and integrity. Using longitudinal data, this research examines whether ethical leadership can reduce turnover intention and actual turnover. The findings reveal that ethical leadership significantly lowers both turnover intention and actual turnover, suggesting that ethical leadership can foster employee retention. However, this study also finds that the relationship between ethical leadership and actual turnover is not significantly mediated by turnover intention.