Does ethical leadership affect employee task performance? Evidence from MTN Nigeria Outlets

Abstract

Employee task performance is critical to organizational effectiveness, particularly in multinational corporations where leadership behavior shapes employee motivation and productivity. Although ethical leadership has received growing attention, most studies treat it as a unidimensional construct, overlooking its distinct orientations and limited evidence from African contexts. This study
investigates the effects of humane, justice, and moderation leadership orientations on employee task performance in MTN Nigeria. Using a cross-sectional survey of 61 managers across retail outlets in Bauchi and Plateau Metropolises, data were analyzed through Ordinary Least Squares regression. The results reveal that all three ethical leadership orientations positively and significantly affect employee task performance, with moderation orientation showing the strongest influence. These findings extend ethical leadership theory by empirically validating Eisenbeiss’s multidimensional framework within a sub-Saharan African multinational setting and by integrating Social Exchange Theory to explain the reciprocity between leader ethics and employee performance. Practically, the study underscores the importance of cultivating leadership that balances compassion, fairness, and
temperance to enhance productivity. Despite limitations related to the small sample size and cross sectional design, the research provides valuable insights for leadership development and governance policy in African multinationals.