Ethical Leadership and Organizational Sustainability: A Bibliometric Review of Innovation and Knowledge Sharing Research (2015–2025)

Abstract

This study aims to map and synthesize the intellectual structure and research trends of ethical leadership in relation to innovative work behaviour (IWB) and knowledge sharing (KS) within the context of organizational sustainability. Using a bibliometric approach, this study analyzes 244 journal articles indexed in Scopus published between 2015 and 2025. Data were collected through a structured keyword search and screened following PRISMA guidelines to ensure transparency and relevance. The final dataset was examined using the Bibliometrix R-package (Biblioshiny) to conduct performance analysis and science mapping, including publication trends, citation analysis, co-authorship patterns, and keyword co-occurrence networks.The findings reveal a significant growth in scholarly output, particularly after 2019, with a peak in 2023–2024, indicating increasing academic attention toward ethical leadership as a strategic driver of innovation and knowledge exchange. The United Kingdom, the United States, and China emerge as the most productive countries, while leading contributions are concentrated in high-impact journals such as the Journal of Business Ethics. Keyword and thematic analyses demonstrate that ethical leadership functions as a central construct linking employee attitudes, innovative behaviour, and governance-related themes. The thematic evolution shows a shift from normative ethics and human resource perspectives toward sustainability, corporate governance, and organizational performance. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive overview of the development of ethical leadership research and highlights its growing role in fostering innovation, knowledge sharing, and long-term organizational sustainability. The findings offer valuable insights for scholars and practitioners by identifying key research clusters, emerging themes, and potential directions for future studies in leadership and organizational behaviour.