The relationship between servant leadership and an ethical work climate in an agri-business

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between perceptions of servant leadership and the ethical climate in an agricultural business. Using the Executive Servant Leadership Scale (ESLS) and the Ethical Climate Questionnaire (ECQ), the data was collected; full-time employees of an agricultural business, rating the servant leadership style of their managers in addition to the ethical work climate of their organisation. The survey was conducted on a convenience sample (N=151) representing a response rate of 63.3% from a sample of 240 employees. This study found a statistically significant correlation between the manager’s leadership style of servant leadership and the ethical work climate of the organisation.