The effects of managers' unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) on subordinates UPB

Abstract

This study examined the trickle-down effect of managers’ unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) on subordinates’ UPB. Drawing from the social learning theory and social cognitive theory, we predicted that employee moral disengagement would mediate the relationship between managers’ UPB and employees’ UPB. We also investigated the moderating roles of leader-member exchange (LMX) and ethical relativism in the mediated relationship. Results based on 29 managers and their 200 subordinates in Vietnam supported the proposed mediation model. Further, our findings indicate that LMX augmented the positive relationship between managers’ UPB and employee moral disengagement whereas employee ethical relativism weakened the positive relationship between moral disengagement and employees’ UPB. Implications of these findings for theory, practice, and future research are discussed.