Ethical leadership and job crafting: the role of intrinsic motivation and job feedback
- 1School of Labor and Human Resources, Renmin University of China , ,
Abstract
Introduction: Drawing on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and its sub-theory Cognitive Evaluation Theory (CET), the present study examines how ethical leadership relates to employees’ job crafting through intrinsic motivation, and how this indirect relationship is contingent on job feedback. We proposed that ethical leadership is positively related to job crafting via intrinsic motivation, and that job feedback moderates this indirect effect by providing competence-relevant informational cues.
Methods: We tested our hypotheses using two-wave data collected from 102 employees in the customer service department of a gaming company in northern China.
Results: The results provided preliminary evidence of a moderated mediation pattern, suggesting that the indirect association between ethical leadership and job crafting through intrinsic motivation varied as a function of job feedback.
Discussion: These findings extend research on ethical leadership and job crafting by clarifying intrinsic motivation as the motivational mechanism and job feedback as a key boundary condition. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
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BibTeX
@article{wang2026ethical,
title = {{Ethical leadership and job crafting: the role of intrinsic motivation and job feedback}},
author = {Pei Wang and Yu Zhang and Kun Yu},
journal = {Frontiers in psychology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1817186},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13719372},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Ethical leadership and job crafting: the role of intrinsic motivation and job feedback
AU - Pei Wang
AU - Yu Zhang
AU - Kun Yu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/16
JO - Frontiers in psychology
DO - 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1817186
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13719372
AB - Introduction: Drawing on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and its sub-theory Cognitive Evaluation Theory (CET), the present study examines how ethical leadership relates to employees’ job crafting through intrinsic motivation, and how this indirect relationship is contingent on job feedback. We proposed that ethical leadership is positively related to job crafting via intrinsic motivation, and that job feedback moderates this indirect effect by providing competence-relevant informational cues. Methods: We tested our hypotheses using two-wave data collected from 102 employees in the customer service department of a gaming company in northern China. Results: The results provided preliminary evidence of a moderated mediation pattern, suggesting that the indirect association between ethical leadership and job crafting through intrinsic motivation varied as a function of job feedback. Discussion: These findings extend research on ethical leadership and job crafting by clarifying intrinsic motivation as the motivational mechanism and job feedback as a key boundary condition. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
SN - 1664-1078
ER -