Internals vs. externals: Who is impacted by ethical leadership?

Purpose Drawing on ethical leadership and social exchange theory, this article sets out to uncover how locus of control (LOC) leads individuals to react differently to ethical leadership and subsequent supervisor trust. Design/methodology/approach The study used a sample of 349 subordinates, and the moderated-mediation model was tested using path analysis in lavaan. Findings We find that trust mediates the relationship between ethical leadership and cynicism about organizational change. Further, LOC moderates these results. Research limitations/implications This research exposes a thus-far understudied individual dispositional variable (LOC) that can alter ethical leadership outcomes in the workplace. This research also links ethical leadership and trust to decreased cynicism. This research indicates that organizations should be aware that there may be personal factors impacting the effectiveness of desired supervisor behaviors. Practical implications This research indicates that organizations should be aware that there may be personal factors impacting the effectiveness of desired supervisor behaviors. Originality/value This article contributes to the discussion of the contingent nature of the effects of ethical leadership.