Impact of ethical leadership on organizational climate and its subsequent influence on job commitment : a study in hospital context

Purpose: Individuals often look up to external influencers (leaders) that determine their conduct and form their perception regarding organizational policies and practices which constitute their organizational climate. The importance of organizational climate has been realized off late in various job outcomes among doctors, such as commitment, turnover, etc. Therefore this study aims to investigate the relationship of ethical leadership with organizational climate that may further affect the commitment of doctors in Indian hospitals. Design/methodology/approach: An empirical study has been done in 10 public and private Indian hospitals using a questionnaire survey. Data were collected from a sample of 537 doctors, which were further analyzed statistically using structural equation modeling (SEM) through AMOS and SPSS software. Findings: The results show a significant influence of ethical leadership on organizational climate and organizational climate further has significant relationship with commitment of doctors in Indian hospitals. Practical implications: The study has important implication for hospital administration, to identify and place an ethical leadership team at the top, which will further influence the behavior of the followers (doctors). This will further lead to formation of favorable organizational climate fostering commitment in doctors. Originality/value: This is one of the few studies that determines the relationship of ethical leadership with organizational climate and it's further influence on commitment of doctors in large (500 beds and above) public and private hospitals in Indian context.