The study focused on ethical leadership and work behaviours of public sector workers in administrative offices in the Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana. The quantitative cross-sectional survey was adopted to survey all public sector workers in active service in the metropolis. Ninety-two respondents were recruited online for the study. Data for the study were gathered using adapted ethical leadership and work deviance scales. Data collected were analysed inferentially using structural equation modelling (SEM) approach. The study revealed that people orientation (b=.222, p=.000), fairness (b=.351, p=.000), concern for sustainability (b=.432, p=.000), and ethical guidance (b=-.287, p=.000) significantly predicted work deviance. The study concluded that there is a high tendency of ethical leadership style that could either maximise or minimise the likelihood of deviant work behaviour occurrence at the workplace in the Cape Coast Metropolis. It is recommended that public sector leaders in Cape Coast Metropolis should first identify the root cause of work deviance in the workplaces within the Metropolis and put measures such positive rewards, effective supervision, and infusion of ethical programmes into the workplace culture to minimise work deviance among administrative officers in the Cape Coast Metropolis.
Keywords: Cape Coast metropolis, Ghana, Public Sector, ethical leadership, work deviance, workers
