When Managers Become Robin Hoods: A Mixed Method Investigation

Russell Cropanzano,Ksenia Keplinger,Daniel P Skarlicki,Thierry Nadisic,Marion Fortin,Phoenix Van Wagoner

doi:10.1017/beq.2021.16

Abstract

When subordinates have suffered an unfairness, managers sometimes try to compensate them by allocating something extra that belongs to the organization. These reactions, which we label as managerial Robin Hood behaviors, are undertaken without the consent of senior leadership. In four studies, we present and test a theory of managerial Robin Hoodism. In study 1, we found that managers themselves reported engaging in Robin Hoodism for various reasons, including a moral concern with restoring justice. Study 2 results suggested that managerial Robin Hoodism is more likely to occur when the justice violations involve distributive and interpersonal justice rather than procedural justice violations. In studies 3 and 4, when moral identity (trait or primed) was low, both distributive and interpersonal justice violations showed similar relationships to managerial Robin Hoodism. However, when moral identity was high, interpersonal justice violations showed a strong relationship to managerial Robin Hoodism regardless of the level of distributive justice.

Highlights

When subordinates have suffered an unfairness, managers sometimes try to compensate them by allocating something extra that belongs to the organization
In study 1, we found that managers themselves reported engaging in Robin Hoodism for various reasons, including a moral concern with restoring justice
The purpose of the present research is to explore when and why managers sometimes take steps to informally compensate subordinates whom they deem to have been unfairly treated by senior leaders. These Robin Hood behaviors consist of allocating the victim something extra that belongs to the company and without the consent of upper management (Nadisic, 2008)

Summary

Introduction

When subordinates have suffered an unfairness, managers sometimes try to compensate them by allocating something extra that belongs to the organization. The purpose of the present research is to explore when and why managers sometimes take steps to informally compensate subordinates whom they deem to have been unfairly treated by senior leaders These Robin Hood behaviors consist of allocating the victim something extra that belongs to the company and without the consent of upper management (Nadisic, 2008). Observers can engage in compensatory actions to provide benefits to the victims (Mitchell, Vogel, & Folger, 2012; Priesmuth, Mitchell, & Folger, 2017) Empirical evidence supports this contention (Darley & Pittman, 2003; de Kwaadstenient, Rijkhoff, & van Dijk, 2013; Mulder, Verboon, & De Cremer, 2009). These actions were ethically dubious because the benefits (e.g., bonuses, training) were allocated in a manner that was not for their intended purpose (Ditton, 1977)

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