Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior Research Articles

Forms of Calling and Helping Behaviors at Work: Psychological Entitlement and Moral Duty as Mediators

Even though calling researchers have identified two major forms of calling, namely modern and neoclassical, existing studies do not agree on whether these two forms are consistent or different in their mechanisms and outcomes. This study aimed to investigate whether modern and neoclassical calling are both indirectly related to unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) through the mediating roles of psychological entitlement and moral duty. Additionally, this study also aimed to investigate whether psychological entitlement functions as a mediator greater in magnitude for modern calling, whereas moral duty functions as a mediator greater in magnitude for neoclassical calling. Results from 463 employees in South Korea from two time points at 1 month interval revealed that both modern and neoclassical calling were indirectly positively related to UPB through psychological entitlement and indirectly positively related to OCB through moral duty. There was insufficient evidence to support the notion that the mediators would be different in magnitude based on the form of calling. Thus, this study demonstrates the double-edged nature of calling in relation to OCB and UPB. Additionally, it suggests that the outcomes of employees’ calling at work may depend more on the strength rather than the form of their calling. The implications and directions for future research are discussed.

How and When Leaders’ Self-Sacrifice Backfires: Examining the Impact on Subordinate Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior

Self-sacrificial leadership has generally been studied in terms of its beneficial effects on organizations. However, recent research has challenged this notion by highlighting that leaders’ self-sacrifice can also produce dysfunctional outcomes for leaders and their followers. The present study draws on social identity theory and extends this novel perspective by examining whether self-sacrificial leader behaviors can inadvertently encourage unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPOB) among subordinates. The study further explores the mediating role of organizational identification and the moderating role of followers’ unethical tolerance and ethical organizational climate. Using time-lagged data from 271 employees, results confirm that leaders’ self-sacrifice is indirectly related to UPOB through organizational identification. The indirect relationship gets weakened when followers have low unethical tolerance, and the organizational climate is highly ethical. This study augments our understanding of the antecedents of UPOB and the boundary conditions under which UPOB may be curtailed. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Recovery and Recidivism: The Aftermath of Helping the Organization Unethically

AbstractThis research draws from moral self-regulation and moral disengagement theories to examine how employees react to their own unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB). We hypothesize that UPB will elicit mixed moral-based cognitive responses among employees that promote both recovery and recidivism. Results of two studies show that, on the one hand, engaging in UPB damaged perpetrators' moral self-concept, captured by an increase in perceived loss of moral credits; this prompted them to perform customer-directed helping behaviors to recover their damaged moral self-concept; on the other hand, UPB also elicited a cognitive justification process, which was related to an increase in subsequent UPB. This nuanced reaction helps explain why individuals' moral self-regulation does not necessarily remedy for moral failings, while also suggesting practical steps that leaders can take to prevent a "slippery slope" pattern of UPB from taking hold in the organization.

How and When Does Employee Creativity Relate to Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior? Unmasking the Negative Side of Organizational Creativity

How and When Does Employee Creativity Relate to Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior? Unmasking the Negative Side of Organizational Creativity

A bright side to unethical pro-organizational behavior: Improving work performance by satisfying psychological needs

Despite scholarly efforts to unpack the outcomes of unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB), its impact has not yet been fully understood. Drawing on self-determination theory, this research advances knowledge about the consequences of UPB by investigating its relationship with psychological needs fulfillment (PNF) and downstream service performance. This research further investigates whether the consequences of UPB are more pronounced among employees with a strong versus weak sense of work meaningfulness. Across a time-lagged multi-source survey (Study 1) and an experiment (Study 2), the results show that UPB is positively associated with PNF, particularly for employees with a strong sense of work meaningfulness, and that this relationship predicts higher in-role service performance and customer-oriented organizational citizenship behavior. Therefore, this research reveals a novel bright side to UPB, providing insight into factors motivates UPB and how to mitigate it.

Exploring Mianzi consciousness congruence and its impact on unethical pro-organizational behavior

BackgroundIn Chinese culture, the concept of Mianzi holds significant importance in interpersonal interactions. Mianzi represents one’s social standing, dignity, and reputation, influencing behaviors and decisions within various contexts. Mianzi consciousness manifests in two primary forms: proactive and defensive. Proactive Mianzi consciousness involves efforts to enhance one’s social image, while defensive Mianzi consciousness focuses on protecting one’s existing reputation. Analyzing the impact of the two Mianzi consciousness dimensions on individuals’ attitudes and behaviors is effective for understanding interpersonal dynamics in China. This study specifically examined the relationship between high Mianzi consciousness congruence and unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB). UPB refers to actions taken by employees that are intended to benefit their organization but are unethical or morally questionable. By investigating how congruence in proactive and defensive Mianzi consciousness influences the likelihood of engaging in UPB, this research aimed to uncover the underlying social and psychological mechanisms driving such behavior.MethodsEmploying polynomial regression and response surface analysis method, this study developed a model that combines the proactive Mianzi consciousness and the defensive Mianzi consciousness into different Mianzi management strategies and tested the relationship between high Mianzi consciousness congruence and UPB.ResultsSample data collected at two time points one month apart supported all hypotheses. Specifically, the findings revealed that high levels of Mianzi consciousness congruence (i.e., all-around type in Mianzi management strategies) positively relate to UPB, and verified the mediation effect of external work locus of control and the moderation effect of relational psychological contract.ConclusionThis research advanced a novel, synergistic perspective on the role of social Mianzi and contributed to the localized UPB research, thus helping to find a path to prevent UPB from occurring in the Chinese sociocultural context.

Friendship leading the darkness? The impact of workplace friendship on the unethical pro-organizational behavior of new generation employees

Friendship leading the darkness? The impact of workplace friendship on the unethical pro-organizational behavior of new generation employees

Impact of Leadership on Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Directions

Unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) has received growing attention from organizational scholars in recent years. As leadership is a key predictor of employee behavior in organizations, research focusing on leadership and UPB holds great potential for theoretical and practical advancements. The current paper presents a comprehensive systematic review of published research exploring leadership and UPB since 2010. The review not only situates the concept of UPB within the relevant literature, but also incorporates various analyses, including context, theoretical perspective, and research design. It also identifies the leadership-based independent variables, mediators, and moderators that impact UPB, which can help advance future theorizing in the field. Lastly, the paper offers suggestions for future research that can help in repositioning the field in order to build more reliable and valuable theoretical and practical policy recommendations.

Cognitive Moral Development and Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior: The Moderating Role of Leader

Cognitive Moral Development and Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior: The Moderating Role of Leader

How and When Work Intensification Leads to Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior?

How and When Work Intensification Leads to Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior?

How does leader self‐sacrifice lead to employees' unethical pro‐organizational behavior? A moderated mediation model

AbstractPrior research on leader self‐sacrifice mainly demonstrates its positive role, while less attention has been paid to its potential negative consequences in the workplace. Based on social exchange theory, this study examines how and when leader self‐sacrifice may lead to employees' unethical pro‐organizational behavior (UPB). We tested our hypotheses with three‐wave data gathered from 570 employees. Results showed that leader self‐sacrifice indirectly promoted UPB via leader–member exchange (LMX). Moreover, employees' desire to see themselves in a positive light (i.e., self‐enhancement motives) moderated this indirect relationship, such that the indirect effect was less salient when employees had higher self‐enhancement motives. We discuss this study's implications for the research on leader self‐sacrifice as well as those for practitioners seeking to avoid the potential dangers of positive leadership behavior.

Unethical pro-organizational behavior: a systematic literature review and research agenda

Purpose The literature on unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPOB) has experienced significant growth in the past decade. However, there is limited research on the effects of organizational, team and malleable individual factors on UPOB. It is also necessary to explore its adverse effects for theoretical advancement and to uncover unexplored opportunities. This study aims to systematically examine the existing body of literature on UPOB, providing thorough theoretical, contextual and methodological insights. Design/methodology/approach Using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis technique, the authors identified 43 articles on UPOB from journals included in the ABDC-2019 list. The authors conducted an analysis of the identified articles and categorized them using a modified version of Paul and Rosado-Serrano’s (2019) TCCM framework. Findings Existing literature primarily focuses on attitudinal and contextual antecedents of UPOB, neglecting individual differences and their consequences. The review suggests that certain desired employee attitudes may also lead to UPOB. In addition, the study highlights underutilization of established behavioral theories, emphasizing the need for a more inclusive theoretical framework. The exploration identifies research gaps, including in multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary studies, aiming to broaden the research scope in this field. Research limitations/implications The study highlights the need for a more comprehensive theoretical framework to understand UPOB. Practical implications It cautions organizations fostering positive employee attitudes, such as job satisfaction, workplace spirituality and organizational commitment, as these may inadvertently promote UPOB. Social implications Socially, the paper highlights how engaging in UPOB affects the lives of involved employees. Originality/value This paper’s originality arises from its methodical review and categorization of prior research on UPOB using a distinctive, multidisciplinary research framework.

Job demands and employees’ unethical pro-organizational behaviors: Emotional exhaustion as a mediator

Job demands and employees’ unethical pro-organizational behaviors: Emotional exhaustion as a mediator

Unethical Pro–Organizational Behavior and Employee Performance in Côte d’Ivoire: The Effects of Leader–Member Exchange and Affective Organizational Commitment

ABSTRACT Unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) that is intended to promote the functioning of the organization but violates ethical norms impacts employees’ in-role performance negatively due to the potential reputational and economic damages that such behavior may cause. Based on social exchange theory, we suggest that leader-member exchange (LMX) and affective organizational commitment moderate the UPB-performance relationship. We test our hypotheses with dyadic data collected in two waves from 218 employees and their 22 direct supervisors working in a federal government ministry in Côte d’Ivoire. Our findings support our hypothesis about the negative effects of UPB on employee performance and show that employees engaging in UPB hurt their own performance appraisal. We also find evidence for the moderating effects of LMX and affective organizational commitment. Our study contributes to a greater understanding of the effects of UPB in public organizations.

Curbing unethical pro-organizational behavior with high-performance work systems: Test of an uncertainty reduction mechanism

The interest in unethical behavior in organizations has grown over the past decades as ethical scandals have become mainstream. However, research on how organizational practices may prevent these behaviors is still scarce, particularly for those behaviors that are unethical but also benefit the organization. Across two studies guided by Uncertainty Reduction Theory, we examine the relationship between high-performance work systems and unethical pro-organizational behavior via perceptions of politics. In study 1 (N = 244), we found support for the indirect effect using a time-lagged design. In study 2 (N = 809), we confirmed our mediation hypothesis using unethical pro-organizational behaviors rated by the supervisor and reiterated the role played by perceptions of politics, by ruling out job insecurity as a second potential uncertainty reduction mechanism. Taken together, these findings have important theoretical and practical implications as they consistently demonstrate that high-performance work systems reduce uncertainty regarding the internal functioning of the organization (reflected in perceptions of politics), and by doing so, decrease the extent to which employees engage in unethical behaviors in favor of the organization.

How Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior Links to Actors’ and Observers’ Behaviors: A Meta-Analysis

How Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior Links to Actors’ and Observers’ Behaviors: A Meta-Analysis

Ramifications of leaders' unethical pro‐organizational behavior on employees: Dual‐stage moderation of ethical mindset

SummaryAlthough leaders' unethical pro‐organizational behavior (UPB) have been identified as one of the key drivers of employees' unethical actions in organizations, our understanding of when and why leader UPB unfolds these adverse effects is still at an early stage. By integrating social cognitive theory with the literature on ethical mindset, the present research sheds light on the cognitive processes and boundary conditions that underpin the effects of leader UPB on followers. We argue that leader UPB may undermine followers' moral efficacy, which in turn translates into heightened follower UPB and general unethical behaviors (UBs). More importantly, we propose that ethical mindset moderates the two stages of the processes, such that followers' outcome‐based ethical mindset weakens the effects of leader UPB on follower moral efficacy but strengthens the link between follower moral efficacy and their UPB and UB. The results of two field studies and one experiment provide consistent support for the hypothesized model. Theoretical and practical implications as well as avenues for future research are discussed.

How does temporal leadership affect unethical pro-organizational behavior? The roles of emotional exhaustion and job complexity

PurposeUnethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) harms organizations’ long-term development; hence, all sectors of society view it as highly concerning. Optimizing leadership and curbing this behavior is a key managerial challenge. This study takes the relationship between temporal leadership and UPB as its object and examines the direct and indirect paths of temporal leadership’s influence on UPB based on the conservation of resources theory. It further dissects the mediating mechanism of emotional exhaustion and the regulating mechanism of job complexity and constructs the mechanism through which temporal leadership affects UPB.Design/methodology/approachData gathered from a sample of 380 employees in 24 provinces and cities were employed for empirical testing using validated factor analysis, hierarchical regression analysis, and a bootstrap method.FindingsThe results show that temporal leadership inhibits UPB, while emotional exhaustion partially mediates the relationship between temporal leadership and UPB. That is, temporal leadership inhibits pro-organizational unethical behavior by alleviating emotional exhaustion. In addition, job complexity negatively moderates the relationship between emotional exhaustion and UPB and positively moderates the mediating role of emotional exhaustion between temporal leadership and UPB.Research limitations/implicationsFirst, although the data used in the study were collected at two different times, they were obtained through self-assessment; therefore, the subjective component and the potential problem of common method bias is evident. Second, the study’s sample size and types of respondents are limited.Practical implications1. This study found that temporal leadership can inhibit UPB by reducing employee emotional exhaustion. Therefore, organizations should place greater emphasis on the time factor. 2. In terms of emotional factors, organizations should actively focus on the impact of emotional exhaustion on employees' UPBs. 3. In management practice, managers should adjust their leadership modeling behaviors according to the different degrees of job complexity to replace UPBs with conscious and rational behaviors.Social implicationsThe study reveals how temporal leadership affects UPB and provides a theoretical basis for organizations to mitigate employees' UPB by optimizing their leadership style.Originality/valueCurrent research on temporal leadership primarily focuses on the positive predictive effects on individual behaviors and attitudes (Zhang and Ling, 2016), but neglects its effects on negative behaviors. This study’s results complement research on the relationship between temporal leadership and employees' negative behaviors and responds to the call by Zhang and Ling (2015) to conduct research related to temporal leadership in China. On the other hand, current research on employees’ UPB largely focuses on its causative factors, while less research has been conducted on the disincentives for UPB, which to some extent limits systematic and sound research on UPB.

Employees’ unethical pro-organizational behavior and subsequent internal whistle-blowing

Employees’ unethical pro-organizational behavior and subsequent internal whistle-blowing

The Paradoxial Effect of Affective Commitment on Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior: Evidence from Indonesian MSEs

The Paradoxial Effect of Affective Commitment on Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior: Evidence from Indonesian MSEs