The Impact of Ethical Leadership on Improving Performance and Motivation of Employees in the Public Sector

The present study was conducted to investigate the role of ethical leadership in enhancing the motivation and performance of employees in public sector organizations in Ardabil Province. The statistical population consisted of all employees working in governmental organizations of the province, from which 384 individuals were selected using stratified random sampling. Data were collected through a standardized questionnaire measuring ethical leadership, employee motivation, and performance based on a five‑point Likert scale. The data were analyzed using SPSS software and multiple regression analysis. The findings demonstrated that ethical leadership has a significant positive effect on employee motivation; in other words, managerial behaviors grounded in honesty, justice, transparency, and respect have a strong potential to increase motivation among employees. The results also indicated that employee motivation directly and significantly influences job performance, suggesting that motivated employees perform their duties with higher quality and greater commitment. Moreover, ethical leadership was found to have both direct and indirect effects (through motivation) on employee performance. Overall, the study highlights that strengthening ethical leadership in public organizations can play an essential role in enhancing motivation, improving productivity, and boosting employee performance. Based on the findings, it is recommended that ethical leadership training programs be implemented for managers, ethical culture be institutionalized within organizations, and performance evaluation systems be redesigned based on fairness and transparency.