Effect of Ethical Leadership Perception on Turnover Intention: Mediating Role of Organizational Commitment in Oromia Regional State Hospitals

The study of ethical leadership has increased in relevance due to the expansion of business scandals and unethical behaviors in an organization that compromise the long-term viability of the firm and affect the business in a number of ways. Leaders that are guided by ethical leadership principles can bring about significant positive outcomes for their organizations. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between ethical leadership perception and turnover intention of health care personnel. Organizational commitment is examined as a mediator of the relationship between ethical leadership and turnover intention. The study is conducted using a sample of 406 employees from 8 public and 3 private hospitals in Oromia region. Different statistical tools are employed to analyze the data collected through questionnaires, including correlation and multiple regression, and it is found that ethical leadership negatively affects the turnover intention of health professionals. In addition, organizational commitment is found to be a partial mediating variable for the proposed relations. Based on the findings of the research, it is recommended that ethical leadership practices are enhanced in the hospitals by hiring leaders that are more ethical and providing training to existing leaders on ethical leadership principles. Private hospital owners and managers are also advised to allow their employees to have a say in decision making and should listen to their ideas and concerns because this is the way to win employees’ trust and commitment.