Leader-Member Exchange, Supervisor Identification, and Unethical Pro-Supervisor Behavior: The Mediating Role of Supervisor Identification

Abstract

Unethical pro-supervisor behaviors (UPSB) are unethical acts that employees engage in to benefit their supervisors. Although Unethical pro-organizational behaviors (UPB) have received great attention from scholars in the field of organizational behavior, the literature has paid insufficient attention to the impact of leader-member exchange (LMX) on UPSB and the underlying mechanisms of this association. This study has examined the relationship between LMX, supervisor identification, and UPSB. Drawing on social exchange theory and social identity theory, we argue that LMX affects employees’ UPSB via the mediation of supervisor identification. Using two-wave time-lagged data from 185 employees in South Korea, we found that LMX was significantly and positively related to supervisor identification, and supervisor identification was significantly and positively related to UPSB. In addition, the indirect effect of LMX on UPSB via supervisor identification was significant and positive. LMX is associated with many positive outcomes, but our findings show that high LMX may also increase employees’ unethical behaviors to benefit their supervisors via high supervisor identification. These results contribute to the literature on LMX, UPSB by identifying the path between them.