Beyond burnout: exploring ethical leadership, digital inclusion, flexibility fatigue and affirmative commitment

Purpose This study examines the direct and indirect relationships between ethical leadership, digital inclusion, flexibility fatigue and affirmative commitment within the context of the global online workforce. Specifically, it investigates how ethical leadership and digital inclusion influence employee commitment by mitigating the emerging challenge of flexibility fatigue. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed. Data were collected from employees working in global online, hybrid, and remote work arrangements. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the proposed relationships, drawing on conservation of resources (COR) theory and social exchange theory (SET) as the underlying theoretical foundations. Findings The results indicate that ethical leadership and digital inclusion are negatively associated with flexibility fatigue and positively associated with affirmative commitment. Flexibility fatigue is found to have a significant negative relationship with affirmative commitment and partially mediates the relationships between ethical leadership and commitment, as well as between digital inclusion and commitment. Research limitations/implications The study relies on cross-sectional and self-reported data, which limits causal inference. Nevertheless, the findings extend existing research by identifying flexibility fatigue as a critical psychological mechanism linking leadership and digital practices to employee commitment in digitally mediated work environments. Practical implications The findings highlight the importance of ethical leadership and inclusive digital practices in reducing work-related fatigue and strengthening employee commitment in global online work settings. Organizations can leverage these insights to design sustainable HRM strategies that promote employee well-being, retention and long-term organizational sustainability. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by empirically demonstrating the mediating role of flexibility fatigue and by offering an integrated framework that connects ethical leadership, digital inclusion and affirmative commitment in the context of the global online workforce.