Marjoni Rachman

Departement of Public Administration, Faculty of Social dan Political Sciences, Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Samarinda, East Kalimantan, Indonesia

DOI : https://doi.org/10.58806/ijsshmr.2025.v4i11n09

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ABSTRACT

This study examines the influence of Ethical Leadership in Human Resource Management (HRM) on employees’ ethical behavior, using the case of the Samarinda City Government. Drawing on Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory, the research posits that HR leaders serve as behavioral models whose actions are observed and emulated by employees, shaping organizational ethical norms. A quantitative approach with a cross-sectional correlational design was employed to investigate the relationship between employees’ perceptions of ethical leadership (independent variable) and their self-reported ethical behavior (dependent variable), while controlling for demographic variables. Data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to 300 permanent employees across various service units in the Samarinda city administration. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a statistically significant positive relationship between perceived ethical leadership and ethical behavior (r = 0.45, p < 0.001). Further, multiple regression analysis showed that ethical leadership significantly predicted employees’ ethical behavior (β = 0.42, p < 0.001), even after controlling for demographic factors. These findings confirm the relevance of Social Learning Theory in public sector organizations and emphasize the crucial role of ethical leadership in fostering an ethical work climate. The study highlights the need for public institutions to strengthen ethical leadership practices within HRM to promote integrity and ethical conduct among employees.

KEYWORDS:

Ethical Leadership, Ethical Behavior, Human Resource Management, Social Learning Theory

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VOlUME 04 ISSUE 11 November 2025