Linking Ethical Leadership to Employee Well-Being: The Role of Trust in Supervisor

Focusing on the supervisor-trainee relationship, this research set out to examine the impact of ethical leadership on two indicators of work-related well-being: work engagement and emotional exhaustion. Furthermore, this study sought to examine the mediating role of trust in supervisor in these relationships. Survey data were collected at two different points in time from 216 trainee accountants drawn from a variety of organisations. Structural equation modelling was used to test the research hypotheses. Results showed that, as hypothesised, trust in supervisor fully mediated the effects of ethical leadership on work engagement and emotional exhaustion, respectively. The theoretical and practical implications of this research are discussed.