Abstract
Propose The study investigates the effect of ethical leadership on administrative corruption, focusing on the mediating role of job satisfaction in Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach Survey data was collected from 402 public employees in the local government of the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), Pakistan. Hypotheses were tested using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM) in SPSS and AMOS23. Findings The findings demonstrated adequate model fitness, indicating that job satisfaction acts as a critical mediator between ethical leadership and the reduction of corruption among public employees. Ethical leadership fosters job satisfaction by enhancing employees’ intrinsic satisfaction in serving the public, thereby reducing their inclination to engage in corruption. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on ethical leadership in public administration by examining how public managers’ ethical leadership shapes subordinates’ job satisfaction and mitigates workplace corruption in the public sector of a developing Muslim country in South Asia.