Ethical leadership and organisational commitment: Mediating role of distributive justice in the Nigerian banking industry

The discourse surrounding ethical issues in business has significantly influenced both management and social science literature. However, a notable gap remains in the exploration of the mediating role of distributive justice in the relationship between ethical leadership and organisational commitment, particularly in the context of deposit money banks in Nigeria. This gap prompted researchers to explore the mediating role of distributive justice in predicting the impact of ethical leadership on organisational commitment among Nigerian banks that accept deposits. The target population comprises fifteen banks that accept interest deposits. A sample size of 172 workers was drawn from the target population for the survey. Questionnaires were employed to gather data from the participants. Partial least-structured equation modelling was employed to examine the research propositions, using SmartPLS 3.2.9. The researchers’ findings indicated that distributive justice served as a mediator in the relationship between ethical leadership and organisational commitment in an emerging economy. This research enhances our current understanding by illustrating how distributive justice mediates the relationship between ethical leadership and organisational commitment, particularly in the context of deposit money banks in Nigeria’s emerging economy.