This study aims to examine whether the extent of teleworking, measured by the number of days worked remotely, progressively shapes the causal relationship between Ethical Leadership and employee Creativity among university-educated professionals, while also considering the nature of their interaction. To address this objective, a simple moderation model was employed. Data were collected through an online survey administered to a sample of 448 employees. The results reveal a convex relationship between Ethical Leadership and Creativity, indicating that extreme perceptions of ethical conduct—either low or high—are associated with negative and positive effects on creative performance, respectively. Furthermore, higher levels of telework intensity strengthen the relationship between Ethical Leadership and the generation of original ideas. In contrast, when teleworking is limited to one day per week, the link between Ethical Leadership and Creativity becomes insignificant. Additionally, female employees report lower self-assessed levels of Creativity. Although the study adopts a cross-sectional design, the findings may be generalized to the broader Colombian energy sector, as the sample includes employees from diverse organizational levels and multiple sources. Future research should further explore the role of ethical leadership in digital and virtual work environments, particularly from an e-ethics perspective. The shift from traditional to virtual leadership models should be grounded in strong ethical principles to prevent intrusive or abusive leadership behaviors that overlook employee well-being. Moreover, organizations implementing hybrid work arrangements should recognize that minimal levels of teleworking can significantly undermine individual Creativity. Public energy organizations in developing economies, whose primary mission is to serve vulnerable populations, must remain committed to the collective good. A failure to do so may foster corruption and exacerbate social inequality. This study proposes a theoretical framework that extends existing research on Ethical Leadership by examining its effects within virtual work settings. While the advantages of ethical leadership are well established, understanding its influence in teleworking contexts is particularly critical as remote work increasingly becomes a conducive environment for enhancing employee Creativity.
