Impact of Islamic work ethic on employee ethical behavior: the serial mediation of moral identity and felt obligation

Purpose Drawing on conservation of resources, social cognitive and self-verification theories, the current study endeavors to extend our comprehension of the mechanisms linking Islamic work ethics (IWE) to employee ethical behavior. More specifically, the current study investigates the potential impact of IWE on employees’ ethical behavior through the serial mediating roles of moral identity and felt obligation. Design/methodology/approach By utilizing two-wave data collected from 513 employee-co-worker dyads in the education sector in Turkey, we employed AMOS to conduct a confirmatory analysis and the PROCESS macro for SPSS to test the hypothesized relationships. Findings The results provide evidence for our hypothesized model. Our results indicate that employees with higher levels of IWE are more likely to exhibit higher levels of ethical behavior. Our results also reveal that IWE has a significant and positive impact on employees’ moral identity and sense of obligation, which in turn enhances their ethical behavior. Originality/value By integrating multiple theories, the current research addresses a dearth in the literature and provides a nomological network from Islamic work ethics to ethical employee behavior through the serial mediating role of moral identity and felt obligation. This study adds value to the literature on human resource management and work ethics by examining how IWE affects the attitudes and behaviors of employees in both the public and private sectors. Accordingly, organizations can strengthen their workforce’s moral identities and instill a sense of obligation to behave morally by incorporating workplace ethics into HRM processes.