The Relationship between Ethical Leadership and Social Loafing: The Role of Supervisor-liking and Political Skill

In today’s organizational environment, which emphasizes the importance of harmonious teamwork among members, the need for leadership that can effectively coordinate individual actions and guide them in the right direction has grown. Although extensive research has examined the effects of ethical leadership on organizational effectiveness and performance, less is known about its impact on social loafing - a behavior in which individuals reduce their effort in group tasks, and efforts to identify the mechanisms and moderating factors of this relationship have seen limited progress. If left unaddressed, social loafing can undermine trust and cohesion among members, ultimately impairing organizational functioning. This study empirically investigates the emotional mechanism through which ethical leadership influences employees’ social loafing, and examines the role of leaders’ interpersonal skills as a moderating factor. To achieve these objectives, a survey was conducted with 242 leader-member dyads from domestic companies. The results show that ethical leadership is negatively related to employee social loafing, with supervisor-liking mediating this relationship. Furthermore, the leader’s political skill moderated the relationship between ethical leadership and supervisor-liking. Specifically, the positive relationship between ethical leadership and supervisor-liking was stronger when the leader’s political skill was lower rather than higher. This moderating effect also extended to the mediating role of supervisor-liking in the relationship between ethical leadership and social loafing. These findings contribute to the literature on the impact of ethical leadership on organizational performance and provide practical insights for practitioners and organizations.