A contingent model of moral pride and legitimacy for sustainable ethical leadership

Abstract

Despite the recognition of the importance of ethical leadership, there is a gap in understanding what enables leaders to sustain it over time and under pressure. This study proposed a process model integrating leader moral pride, earned legitimacy, and leader humility to predict sustainable ethical leadership. Data were collected from 342 academic and administrative staff in four Zimbabwean state universities between May and July 2025. Data were analysed using Hayes PROCESS Macro Model 1 and 7. Results revealed: (1) earned legitimacy emerged as a direct driver of sustainable ethical leadership; (2) Moral pride predicted legitimacy; (3) leader humility demonstrated an independent positive effect on sustainable ethical leadership. The results did not support either the moderation or the moderated mediation predictions, but a dual process in which moral pride influences ethical leadership sustainability through leader-earned legitimacy, whilst leader humility contributes its own unique value in the process. The research contribution: (1) integrating affective and social-cognitive perspectives to explain ethical leadership as a dynamic, sustained process; (2) introducing moral pride as a socially embedded emotional driver which initiates the conferment of legitimacy to leaders by followers. the findings offer practical guidance for nurturing an ethical culture within institutions of higher education.