Why and When Leader Entity Morality Beliefs Promotes Employee Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior

Abstract

Research on unethical employee pro-organizational behavior has gained increasing attention and explored obvious antecedents like leadership and leader’s unethical behavior. However, no known study has examined leader entity morality beliefs, although it is apparent that leader entity morality beliefs would shape the organizational environment in which the employees are in. Combining the implicit person theory and stressor-coping-outcome model, our research aims at investigating the indirect effect of leader entity morality beliefs on employee unethical pro-organizational behavior through employee job stress and moral disengagement. Results found that employees who had stronger organizational identification were more likely to be influenced by leader entity morality beliefs, resulting in high unethical pro-organizational behavior through their job stress and moral disengagement. Our findings have pertinent practical implications in managing employee job stress and unethical pro-organizational behavior.