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Leading by example: the influence of ethical supervision on students’ prosocial behavior

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Abstract

Universities worldwide strive to nurture socially responsible graduates to create a better society. Since ethical behavior of role models can stimulate followers’ professional standards and ethical values, it is crucial to focus on an appropriate path through which ethical values can be conveyed and learned by individuals. The current study seeks to examine if this objective can be facilitated through the positive role played by academic supervisors at higher education level. Owing to the very close leader-follower relationship, this study empirically investigated if ethical supervisors could stimulate prosocial behavior among students under their supervision. Data was collected from 240 postgraduate university students and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings of this study revealed that students demonstrated greater anonymous, emotional, and compliant prosocial behavior when they perceived stronger ethical supervision. Study implications and limitations have been discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, WA, 6027, Australia

    Mehran Nejati

  2. Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), 3 Richardson St., West Perth, WA, 6005, Australia

    Azadeh Shafaei

Authors
  1. Mehran Nejati
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Correspondence to Mehran Nejati.

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This paper is not being considered concurrently for publication elsewhere nor has it been published in any language before. All the authors have contributed significantly and are in agreement with the content of the manuscript.

Appendix 1: Modified Ethical Supervision Scale

Appendix 1: Modified Ethical Supervision Scale

  1. 1.

    My supervisor listens to what students have to say.

  2. 2.

    My supervisor disciplines students who violate ethical standards.

  3. 3.

    My supervisor conducts his/her personal life in an ethical manner.

  4. 4.

    My supervisor has the best interests of students in mind.

  5. 5.

    My supervisor makes fair and balanced decisions.

  6. 6.

    My supervisor can be trusted.

  7. 7.

    My supervisor discusses academic ethics or values with students.

  8. 8.

    My supervisor sets an example of how to do things the right way in terms of ethics.

  9. 9.

    My supervisor defines success not just by results but also the way they are obtained.

  10. 10.

    When making decisions, my supervisor asks “what is the right thing to do?”

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Nejati, M., Shafaei, A. Leading by example: the influence of ethical supervision on students’ prosocial behavior. High Educ 75, 75–89 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-017-0130-4

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