The Contagion of Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior: From Leaders to Followers

Yun Zhang,Xu Sun,Bin He

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01102

Yun Zhang, Xu Sun + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01102

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Abstract

Unethical pro-organizational behavior is a common phenomenon in businesses, and one that can cause great damage to them as well as to wider society. Although prior studies have investigated why individuals engage in unethical pro-organizational behavior, little research has been undertaken into why such behavior might be commonplace in organizations. The present study focuses on the downstream contagion of unethical pro-organizational behavior from leaders to followers. Drawing on social identity theory, we consider why leaders’ unethical pro-organizational behavior brings about corresponding behavior in their employees. Moreover, we predict that leader identification and moral identity will moderate this relationship. Using a time-lag study design, we collected a sample of 227 multisource time-lagged data with which to test our hypotheses. The results show that there is a significant positive relationship between leaders’ and employees’ unethical pro-organizational behavior, and that this relationship is stronger when employees have higher leader identification and lower moral identity levels. The theoretical and practical implications of our findings are discussed in this paper, as are the limitations of the study.

Highlights

Unethical behavior in the workplace has been widely observed (Treviño et al, 2006), with many employees contending that their unethical activities serve to benefit the organization or its members (Umphress et al, 2010)
We expect: Hypothesis 3: Moral identity moderates the relationship between LUPB and employees’ UPB (EUPB), such that the relationship is stronger for employees with low moral identity than for those with high moral identity
A significant positive effect was observed between LUPB and EUPB (r = 0.23, p < 0.01)

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Unethical behavior in the workplace has been widely observed (Treviño et al, 2006), with many employees contending that their unethical activities serve to benefit the organization or its members (Umphress et al, 2010). Our study is based on social identity and self-concept perspectives, which help to theoretically explain why subordinates will follow their leaders’ engagement in UPB, and is one of the first to explain the contagion mechanism of UPB. When observing LUPB, subordinates will likely consider such behavior to be what the organization expects them to do, and they may follow and engage in UPB themselves. We expect that employees with high leader identification will more likely attend to follow leaders’ UPB in order to benefit their organizations. It has been observed that individuals with a high level of moral identity will perceive a gap between current and ideal moral self-image and feel pressure, which means, in the context of the present study, that they would be less likely to follow their leaders to engage in UPB. We expect: Hypothesis 3: Moral identity moderates the relationship between LUPB and EUPB, such that the relationship is stronger for employees with low moral identity than for those with high moral identity

METHODS

RESULTS

DISCUSSION

Limitations and Future

CONCLUSION

ETHICS STATEMENT