This research investigates how the perception of supervisor support shapes the connection between ethical leadership and employee engagement, with organisational commitment serving as an intermediary factor, within an Eastern cultural framework. Data were obtained through a questionnaire survey of 389 IT professionals employed in Pakistan. The relationships among the variables were analysed using linear regression and the PROCESS macro (Preacher & Hayes, 2004). Findings indicate that ethical leadership significantly influences both engagement and commitment among employees. Moreover, organisational commitment functions as a linking mechanism between ethical leadership and engagement. Perceived supervisor support further strengthens this linkage: when such support is high, the indirect impact of ethical leadership on engagement via commitment becomes more pronounced. The evidence suggests that positive supervisory perception enhances the influence of ethical leadership through organisational commitment, thereby fostering greater engagement. Based on social exchange theory, this research enriches organisational behaviour scholarship by introducing perceived supervisor support as a complementary element in the ethical leadership–engagement dynamic—an area with limited prior exploration.
