The influence of ethical leadership on job embeddedness and engagement among nurses in Musoma municipality, Mara Region, Tanzania

Ethical leadership has been linked to favorable outcomes for nurses and healthcare organizations. Nurses who work for ethical leaders are committed, empowered, and do their best for their healthcare organizations. Job embeddedness and engagement are key for nurse commitment, innovation, performance, and satisfaction. This study investigated the influence of ethical leadership on job embeddedness and engagement among nurses in Musoma Municipal Hospital (MMH) and Mwalimu Nyerere Regional Referral Hospital (MNRRH) in Tanzania. The research employed a quantitative study approach and used the cross-sectional survey as the study design. The study population was 425 employees, and the sample size was 250 nurses. In this study, quantitative data were gathered using questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate regression analysis with the aid of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences tool. The results showed a positive significant relationship between job embeddedness and engagement and leaders' value, voice, and virtue (p=0.000). However, ethical voice had no relationship with job embeddedness (p=0.840). The findings indicated that ethical leadership theory can be applied in understanding job embeddedness and engagement among nurses. TANESCO and other public institutions should focus on fostering supportive managerial practices and reinforcing performance reforms. These behavioral interventions can complement technical reforms to enhance service delivery and institutional performance. The study recommends implementing policies that promote ethical leadership, transparency, and professional growth. Strengthening nurse engagement will improve workforce well-being and contribute to better patient care and healthcare system performance.