Corporate ethical values and ethical work climate influences on employees’ helping behaviour in a developing country’s banking sector setting

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of corporate ethical values and work ethical climate on employees’ helping behaviour. A convenience sample (n= 421) of employees at a bank in the Democratic Republic of Congo were participants (female = 32.5%). The employers completed the following standardised measures: The Corporate Ethical Values Scale (CEVS), the Work Ethical Climate Questionnaire (WECQ), and the Employees’ Helping Behaviour Scale (EHBS). The structural modelling analysis results indicated employee perceptions of corporate ethical values and work ethical climate to predict their helping behaviour, overall. Additionally, the results indicate that corporate ethical values and caring, rule, and instrumental were predictive of helping behaviour. Furthermore, the results indicate higher levels of education and seniority to predict higher levels of ethical value and instrumental helping behaviours. Human resource managers should provide resources that support a pro-employee corporate culture for employees to have a sense of workplace ‘family’ belonging.

Keywords:

• corporate ethical climate
• ethical climate
• helping behaviour
• Democratic Republic of Congo