Employees are likely to perform better and be committed to the organization when they are supervised by ethical leaders, even when working remotely. Ethical leadership is evident in an organization when employees recognize values such as integrity, fairness and care for others through the actions of a leader.

Coming out of the pandemic, we were interested in the shift to remote work and how it impacts employees when they are not able to observe and interact with managers face-to-face. Given that our research team has over 60 years of combined leadership experience in multiple industries and over 40 years of combined academic experience, we could envision the shift to remote work being impactful. These findings are based on three studies of salespeople conducted between 2021 and 2024 aimed at understanding how ethical leadership is perceived in a remote work environment.

Across the studies, our results showed that when salespeople perceive their leaders as ethical, they feel significantly more committed to the organization. That commitment, in turn, leads to greater well-being and better performance.

Interestingly, even as the percentage of remote supervision increases, these positive effects hold steady, suggesting that ethical leadership remains powerful and effective, even in fully remote positions.

In-depth interviews with sales professionals who worked remotely highlighted four key factors that help reinforce ethical leadership in a remote setting: consistent and transparent communication, occasional in-person interactions, modeling integrity, and establishing clear ethical standards.

More sales jobs are becoming remote, meaning managers and employees often interact through video calls, emails and messages rather than in person. In fact, remote sales positions saw the greatest increase in new job postings – up 48% in 2023 compared with the previous year. About 22% of the U.S. workforce will work remotely in 2025.

Some experts worry that remote work limits employees’ ability to connect with their leaders, making it harder to build a strong ethical culture. There is little understanding of how virtual communication affects employees’ perceptions of ethical leadership in organizations.

Ethical leadership plays a crucial role in shaping workplace culture, influencing everything from employee satisfaction to overall performance. Leaders who demonstrate integrity, strong values and clear expectations foster an environment where employees feel supported and motivated. This, in turn, leads to higher engagement, lower turnover and better job performance.

However, as remote work becomes more common, the way employees perceive and experience ethical leadership is changing. Without face-to-face interactions, employees may struggle to pick up on the same cues that signal ethical leadership in traditional office settings. For example, the spontaneous moments of ethical behavior – like how a manager handles unexpected dilemmas or navigates tough decisions in real time – are more likely to be witnessed in person.

Remote supervision presents both challenges and opportunities for ethical leadership. While technology allows for greater flexibility and global communication, it can also create barriers to trust and connection. Emails and messages lack tone and nuance, and video calls, while more personal, still lack the spontaneous conversations that help build relationships.

At the same time, advances in communication tools have improved the ability to convey emotions and intent, making remote leadership more effective. Features such as video calls, emojis and reactions in chat, along with voice messages, help recreate the emotional nuance of in-person interactions. These tools can allow managers to express empathy, enthusiasm, concern or praise more clearly, making their messages feel more personal and authentic; employees can better interpret a leader’s values and intentions, strengthening trust and connection even without face-to-face contact.

Given the positive impact of ethical leadership on employee outcomes, it is important to understand communication effectiveness among leaders. Ethical leadership starts at the top with the CEO, who sets the tone for the entire organization. However, it must also be consistently demonstrated by managers, since employees interact with them most often and look to them for everyday guidance. While executive leadership shapes the culture, direct leaders display it daily.

It’s also important to understand which coaching methods, like video calls or check-ins, work best to support remote teams. Individual differences, such as age or experience, may influence how employees respond to ethical leaders, so studying these factors can help tailor leadership approaches. As hybrid work becomes more common, it will also be important to examine how a mix of in-person and remote interactions impact the way ethical leadership is perceived and practiced.

The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Mark R. Gleim, Auburn University; Emory Serviss, Auburn University; Kelly Manix, Middle Tennessee State University; Matt C. Howard, University of South Alabam

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The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.