Mitigating Deviant Workplace Behavior Risk Through Ethical Leadership Communication

A rapid evidence assessment examined the impact of ethical leadership communication on psychological safety to promote employee voice behaviors. Organizations are subject to extensive regulatory, financial, and reputational risks based on their responses to deviant workplace behaviors, including discrimination and harassment. Deviant workplace behaviors are an extensive and pervasive problem. A key mechanism to identify deviant workplace behaviors within an organization is employees reporting of the misconduct internally. Despite the reliance on reporting, employees often do not report experienced or witnessed deviant workplace behaviors. Psychological safety impacts the willingness of employees to engage in voice behaviors. The research identified both ethical leadership verbal and non-verbal communication promote employee identification with the organization and impacts employee perceived psychological safety. Based on the results of the research, a conceptual model is proposed. A discussion and implications for management and practice apply the results and conceptual framework.