ETHICAL LEADERSHIP AND ORGANISATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY OF DEPOSIT MONEY BANKS IN YENAGOA, BAYELSA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract This study examined the associations between ethical leadership and employee engagement and affective commitment among employees of the 16 deposit money banks in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Ethical leadership was assessed through integrity, accountability and empathy. Guided by Social Exchange Theory, the study tested six null hypotheses using a cross-sectional survey. From a population of 847 employees, 272 valid questionnaires were obtained through stratified random sampling. Of 285 questionnaires distributed, 278 were returned (97.5%); 272 were valid (95.4%). A structured questionnaire adapted from established scales was used; Cronbach’s alpha values ranged from .78 to .87. Pearson correlation and multiple regression were used. Each leadership dimension was positively associated with both outcomes. Accountability was the strongest predictor of engagement (β = .388) and commitment (β = .295), followed by integrity (.254 and .253); empathy showed smaller but significant associations (.115 and .140). The models explained 33.0% and 26.1% of the variance, respectively. As the study is cross-sectional and based on self-reports, the results indicate associations rather than causal effects. Engagement and commitment are employee outcomes relevant to productivity, not direct measures of financial or operational productivity. Keywords: Ethical leadership; integrity; accountability; empathy; employee engagement; affective commitment