Abstract
Managerial Pro-Social Rule Breaking (MPSRB) is a prevalent leadership behavior in China, characterized by conflict between favor and rule. Despite emerging interest in this behavior, two theoretical questions remain unsolved. First, its definition, dimensions, and measurement in the Chinese context are still lacking or improper; second, its double-edged sword effect on employees’ attitude is rarely empirically examined. This paper conducts three studies to solve these questions. In study 1, based on an analysis of the Chinese traditional culture, three dimensions of MPSRB (i.e., benevolence-based, pragmatic-based, and justice-based) were identified. In study 2, a scale of MPSRB containing 12 items was developed through an interview, preliminary, and formal questionnaire survey. In study 3, employees’ sustainable organizational identification perception (SOIDP) was studied as the dependent variable, to analyze and verify the double-edged sword effect of MPSRB by hierarchical regression and structural equation modeling (SEM) methods on the data gathered through the three stages from 380 employees. The results show that the three dimensions of MPSRB have a direct positive impact on employees’ SOIDP and, simultaneously, they have an indirect negative impact through the mediating role of procedural justice perception.
Highlights
Managers at all levels of an organization are often faced with a moral dilemma where rules conflict with human sentiment
Given that this construct points to leadership behavior, which is better reflected through the specific cases, the respondents were asked to describe as many typical cases of Managerial Pro-Social Rule Breaking (MPSRB) as possible, based on their experiences or indirect observations
The items of the initial scale were generated by further screening, classification, and refinement
Summary
Managers at all levels of an organization are often faced with a moral dilemma where rules conflict with human sentiment. According to a survey of CEOs, more than 70% of managers in such situations tend to choose breaking the rules to achieve practical pro-social goals [1]. This phenomenon is academically known as Managerial Pro-Social Rule Breaking (MPSRB) [2], which is more prevalent in the Chinese context. “Pro-social” reflects the basic emotional need, while “rule breaking” reflects the abandonment of reason. Their influence on employees’ attitudes is complex, and there may be a double-edged sword effect [4]
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