The Effect of Ethical Leadership on Organizational Citizenship Behavior and Turnover Intention of Nurses with Mediation of Intrinsic Motivation

Ethical leadership provides the ground for nurses' citizenship behavior and loyalty. Moreover, since ethical leadership, coupled with high human values and support for nurses, can provide the ground for effective realization of nurses' organizational citizenship behavior, it can be argued that enhancement of nurses' intrinsic motivation can reduce turnover intentions among them.

The present study falls within the category of applied studies in terms of objective and descriptive studies in terms of method. The study was conducted on a sample of 270 nurses of Rasht hospitals using nonprobability convenient sampling. The sample size was determined using the Cochran's formula. The required data were collected using a standard questionnaire whose validity and reliability was confirmed. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics within the framework of Smart-PLS statistical software. Ethical Considerations: Questionnaires were distributed among the subjects after they were provided with an account of the objectives of the study and were ensured about the confidentiality of information and their verbal consent was obtained.

The results suggest that ethical leadership has a significant direct effect on individual-level citizenship behavior (0.69) and organizational-level citizenship behavior (0.70) and turnover intention (-0.60) (<0.01). Intrinsic motivation can indirectly affect the impact of ethical leadership on individual-level citizenship behavior (0.25), organizational-level citizenship behavior (0.24) and turnover intention (-0.07).

According to the hypothesis testing results and the investigations of variables' effect, it can be concluded that managers should nurture the ethical leadership style by enhancing the significance of tasks, paying special attention to the position and status of nurses and emphasizing on the observance of ethics in the workplace. In addition, by involving nurses in formulation of the organizational and professional vision, attracting nurses' contribution to goal fulfilment processes, helping them develop a positive attitude towards the future and creating opportunities for their prosperity, managers can provide the ground for enhancement of nurses' motivation and realization of organizational citizenship behaviors.