Exploring the effects of ethical leadership behaviours on team effectiveness

Abstract

Combating the widespread issues of accountability avoidance, dishonesty, corruption, and regulatory noncompliance within local government necessitates the continual presence of ethical leadership. Scholars emphasise the importance of conducting rigorous empirical research using signaling theory, a powerful approach required in revealing reliable insights. Such efforts are crucial to improving service delivery standards and strengthening good governance. The research aimed to investigate the influence of ethical leadership behaviours on team effectiveness within local government, focusing on senior and middle managers. Specifically, it sought to understand how these behaviours affect both individual and team performance. The study employed qualitative methods to explore the impact of ethical leadership behaviours on team effectiveness. The data was gathered through conducting semi-structured interviews with senior and middle managers from Gauteng Municipalities. Phenomenology was utilised to explore participants’ experiences in depth, providing a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. The study included 22 participants holding different leadership roles across Local, District, and Metropolitan Municipalities. The findings highlighted that ethical leaders strive to exhibit exemplary behaviours towards their followers by encouraging teams to behave morally and with integrity. The qualities that promote team performance were found to be actively participating in the team journey through promoting growth, empowerment, and motivation. Through the evaluation of the research results and the literature analysis, a comprehensive organisational framework for ethical leadership behaviours and team effectiveness was proposed, which distinguishes between perceptions, beliefs, personality traits, and actions to provide a more cohesive