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Burnout is a factor that affects organizational performance. Researchers have not determined whether an ethical climate and adequate work autonomy provide sufficient emotional stability to dampen burnout or, conversely, increase it. In addition, the abundant literature analyzing the relationship between work autonomy and burnout does not sufficiently establish whether it acts as a stress-reducing resource or a stress-increasing demand. It is also unknown to what extent work autonomy contributes to explaining the relationship between ethical climate and burnout. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to examine the relationship between an ethical climate based on principles and norms and burnout using the moderating effect of work autonomy. We approached this question using a multivariate moderation analysis. The sample consists of 448 employees in the Colombian electric sector. The results show that an ethical climate of principles and work autonomy are positively related to burnout, measured by the dimensions of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. However, the relationship between an ethical climate of principles and burnout shifts from positive to negative when a rule-demanding work environment is associated with a high perception of work autonomy. In conclusion, when employees have considerable control over their usual tasks, they develop a pattern of behavior that incorporates both the organization’s internal standards and the principles that shape individual morality. In this case, employees are able to balance the workload with the high psychological demands of an ethical climate of principles, without it being a disturbance to their emotional well-being. The results of this research are particularly relevant because they show for the first time that an ethical climate of principles can have opposite effects on employee burnout, both positive and negative, depending on the degree of work autonomy. This opens the door to new strategies for organizations to prevent certain psychosocial occupational risks, such as burnout, which often have a serious impact on employees’ mental health. Moreover, the model of moderation proposed in this article can be replicated in other Latin American countries with similar characteristics to those of Colombia or even transferred to rich countries.

Purpose: The impact of ethical leadership on employee emotional exhaustion has been extensively analyzed. However, the impact of a leader’s moral intensity on an employee’s emotional state has gone largely unnoticed. This research demonstrates that ethical leadership influences employee emotional exhaustion as a function of the extent of the leader’s moral standards. Furthermore, this research finds that affective commitment acts as a mediating mechanism. Methods: A simple mediation model is used. The sample consists of 448 professionals in six organizations in the Colombian electrical sector who responded to an online questionnaire. The sampling is probabilistic by conglomerates. Findings: This research found a positive relationship between ethical leadership and emotional exhaustion, with affective commitment being a mechanism that helps explain this association. Ethical behavior is voluntary in nature and develops in an environment of trust. When an ethical leader surpasses specific moral turning points, a follower’s learning becomes an obligation, preventing affective fluidity. A search for acceptance implies constant consumption of resources that weakens the follower’s capacity for self-regulation until it is exhausted. Moreover, when the leader’s expectations are difficult to meet, affective commitment can lead to significant emotional ambiguity in followers. This context intensifies role stress and increases the likelihood of emotional exhaustion. Lastly, seniority in the workplace promotes emotional exhaustion. Originality: This research challenges conventional wisdom about the mitigating effect of ethical leadership on employees’ emotional states. It broadens the understanding of this management style and fills a crucial knowledge gap by introducing a new perspective. Practical Implications: A balanced and accessible leader can quickly convey a convincing ethical discourse. Emphasizing the vulnerability and importance of human beings can help prevent moral anguish and ethical distances. This, in turn, provides followers with resources to mitigate exhaustion and strengthen commitment.