How do Ethical Leaders Promote Employees' Feedback-Seeking Behaviours? A Serial Mediation Model

Abstract

This study explores how ethical leadership fosters employees'
feedback-seeking behaviours. Drawing on Self-Determination
Theory, the research identifies intrinsic motivation and affective
commitment as key mediators through which ethical leaders
encourage proactive feedback-seeking. The findings reveal that
ethical leadership positively influences employees' intrinsic
motivation and affective commitment to the organisation, which
in turn enhances their tendency to feedback – an essential
behaviour in dynamic and quality-sensitive work environments
such as manufacturing. To empirically test this model, a crosssectional
survey was conducted among 422 employees at a
large manufacturing plant in Manisa, Türkiye. The results
support a serial mediation model, confirming that ethical
leadership indirectly promotes feedback-seeking behaviours
through increased intrinsic motivation and affective commitment.