Ethical Leadership and Performance of Gender Sensitives Institutions: The South East Nigeria Experience

The study examines ethical leadership and performance in gender sensitive institutions in South East, Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study were to investigate the relationship between leadership accountability, fairness, and empathy and performance in the organizations studied. Social learning theory by Bandara (1977) was used to strengthen this study. Methodology adopted a descriptive research survey design with a sample size of 120 staff members. Data were collected using primary source. With data analysis using SPSS, findings confirm a strong relationship between ethical leadership and employee performance in the establishments. It was discovered that in the establishments there is a significant relationship between leadership accountability, fairness and empathy and organizational performance. It is recommended that gender sensitive organizations promote transparency by introducing performance measurement system that track service delivery metrics and hold leaders accountable for lapses. It also recommended development of ethical code that encourages fairness in their activities. Furthermore, with empathy, the ethical leaders can encourage whistle-blowing channel where employees can report unethical practices. It was concluded that ethical leadership is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic tool for achieving organizational excellence