Frontline resilience in the retail realm: the role of moral disengagement in understanding employee behavior in the post-pandemic uncertainties

Abstract

In the wake of the pandemic, retail services—especially vulnerable to ethical dilemmas due to heightened market instability—demand a deeper understanding of service employees’ behaviors. This research investigates the impact of market uncertainties on organizational justice and behaviors, with a specific examination of the moderating role of moral disengagement. An online survey was used to collect data from 255 retail service employees. Structural equation modeling (SEM) with the partial least squares (PLS) approach was applied. Findings suggest that market uncertainties influence employees' justice perceptions. Intriguingly, in conditions of high moral disengagement, the relationship between justice perception and citizenship behaviors was strengthened, indicating a nuanced interplay of ethical perceptions amidst uncertain environments. This study is the first attempt to explore the unique role of moral disengagement in understanding frontline employees’ behaviors, which can offer insights into how employees' ethical considerations evolve in complex, uncertain business environments.