Social Comparison and Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior

Abstract

This study aims to understand the role of social comparison in motivating unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB). Previous studies have proposed that social exchange and organization identification are the two driving forces for UPB. However, we identify social comparison as an alternative mechanism in explaining UPB. We propose that relative leader-member exchange (RLMX) as a reflection of objective social comparison information, desire for status as a reflection of comparison preference, and leader-member exchange (LMX) differentiation as a social comparison context, are positively related to UPB. Using longitudinal data for 407 employees embedded in 91 teams in a large manufacturing company, we found that RLMX, desire for status, and LMX differentiation were predictors for UPB, and that the effect of RLMX on UPB was stronger when desire for status was high. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.