Abstract
Based on the social exchange theory, this paper explores the indirect impact of high-commitment work systems on employees’ unethical pro-organizational behavior. Through the analysis of multisource data from 139 companies (including 139 human resource managers and 966 employees), a multilevel structuring equation model is used to verify the study’s hypotheses. The research results show the following findings: (1) High-commitment work systems are significantly positively related to employees’ unethical pro-organizational behavior. (2) High-commitment work systems have indirect effects on the employees’ unethical pro-organizational behavior through the relational psychological contract. The relational psychological contract plays a mediating role in this process. (3) Employees’ balanced reciprocity beliefs significantly enhance the positive effect of relational psychological contracts on employees’ unethical pro-organizational behavior. It can also positively moderate the mediating effect of high-commitment work systems that affect employees’ unethical pro-organizational behavior via relational psychological contract.
Highlights
In an economic environment of increasing competition, uncertainty, and complexity, managers try to stimulate employees’ pro-organizational behavior through various methods to obtain a sustainable competitive advantage
Based on social exchange theory, this study argues that employees are more likely to engage in unethical pro-organizational behavior in return for the organization’s investment in them, when the organization effectively implements high-commitment work systems
The results show that the high-commitment work system is significantly beneficial to establishing relational psychological contracts and directly promotes the occurrence of unethical pro-organizational behavior
Summary
In an economic environment of increasing competition, uncertainty, and complexity, managers try to stimulate employees’ pro-organizational behavior through various methods to obtain a sustainable competitive advantage. To achieve this goal, employees may look for shortcuts that violate the moral standards at for-profit organizations, ranging from tampering with financial data to withholding negative information from the public. Many ethical misdeeds are destructive (such as damaging equipment) or purely self-serving (such as fraudulent reporting). Still, such misconducts stem from a desire to benefit the organization.
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