Uncovering the dark side of leadership: How exploitative leaders fuel unethical pro-organizational behavior through moral disengagement

References

• Al Halbusi, H., Alhaidan, H., Ramayah, T., & AlAbri, S. (2023). Ethical leadership and employees’ ethical behavior. Business and Professional Ethics Journal, 42(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.5840/bpej202344135
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Al Halbusi, H., Ruiz-Palomino, P., & Williams, K. A. (2023). Ethical leadership, subordinates’ moral identity and self-control: Two-and three-way interaction effect on subordinates’ ethical behavior. Journal of Business Research, 165, 114044. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114044
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Babalola, M. T., Mawritz, M. B., Greenbaum, R. L., Ren, S., & Garba, O. A. (2020). Whatever it takes: How and when supervisor bottom-line mentality notivates employee contributions in the workplace. Journal of Management, 47(5), 1134–1154. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206320902521
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Bajaba, A., Bajaba, S., & Alsabban, A. (2023). Exploitative leadership and constructive voice: The role of employee adaptive personality and organizational identification. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People & Performance. https://doi.org/10.1108/joepp-07-2022-0218
   Google Scholar
• Bajaba, S., Bajaba, A., & Fuller, B. (2022). Enduring exploitative leaders at work: The buffering role of proactive personality on employee job strain. Organization Management Journal, 19(2), 60–71. https://doi.org/10.1108/omj-11-2020-1090
   Google Scholar
• Bandura, A. (1999). Moral disengagement in the perpetration of Inhumanities. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 3(3), 193–209. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327957pspr0303_3
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Bandura, A., Barbaranelli, C., Caprara, G., & Pastorelli, C. (1996). Mechanisms of moral disengagement in the exercise of moral agency. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71(2), 364–374. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.71.2.364
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Bauman, C., Tost, L., & Ong, M. (2016). Blame the Shepherd, not the sheep: Imitating higher-ranking transgressors mitigates punishment for unethical behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 137, 123–141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2016.08.006
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Bedi, A., Alpaslan, C. M., & Green, S. E. (2016). A meta-analytic review of ethical leadership outcomes and moderators. Journal of Business Ethics, 139(3), 517–536. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2625-1
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Berry, C., Wiemann, S., & Sackett, P. (2005). A review of recent developments in integrity test research. Personnel Phycology. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2007.00074
   Google Scholar
• Brislin, R. (1980). Cross-cultural research methods. Environment and Culture, 47–82. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0451-5_3
   Google Scholar
• Brown, M., Treviño, L., & Harrison, A. (2005). Ethical leadership: A social learning perspective for construct development and testing. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 97(2), 117–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2005.03.002
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Castille, C., Buckner, J., & Thoroughgood, C. (2016). Prosocial citizens without a moral compass? examining the relationship between Machiavellianism and unethical pro-organizational behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 149(4), 919–930. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-016-3079-9
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Chen, M., Chen, C., & Sheldon, O. (2016). Relaxing moral reasoning to win: How organizational identification relates to unethical pro-organizational behavior. Journal of Applied Psychology, 101(8), 1082–1096. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000111
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Cheng, K., Guo, L., & Luo, J. (2021). The more you exploit, the more expedient I will be: A moral disengagement and Chinese traditionality examination of exploitative leadership and employee expediency. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 40(1), 151–167. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10490-021-09781-x
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Cohen, T., Panter, A., & Turan, N. (2012). Predicting counterproductive work behavior from guilt proneness. Journal of Business Ethics, 114(1), 45–53. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1326-2
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• De Hoogh, A., & Den Hartog, D. (2008). Ethical and despotic leadership, relationships with leader’s social responsibility, top management team effectiveness and subordinates’ optimism: A multi-method study. The Leadership Quarterly, 19(3), 297–311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2008.03.002
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Effelsberg, D., & Solga, M. (2015). Transformational leaders’ in-group versus out-group orientation: Testing the link between leaders’ organizational identification, their willingness to engage in unethical pro-organizational behavior, and follower-perceived transformational leadership. Journal of Business Ethics, 126(4), 581–590. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-1972-z
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Effelsberg, D., Solga, M., & Gurt, J. (2014). Transformational leadership and follower’s unethical behavior for the benefit of the company: A two-study investigation. Journal of Business Ethics, 120(1), 81–93. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-1644-z
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Egan, V., Hughes, N., & Palmer, E. (2015). Moral disengagement, the Dark Triad, and unethical consumer attitudes. Personality and Individual Differences, 76, 123–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2014.11.054
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Fehr, R., Welsh, D., Yam, K., Baer, M., Wei, W., & Vaulont, M. (2019). The role of moral decoupling in the causes and consequences of unethical pro-organizational behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 153, 27–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2019.05.007
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Feinberg, M., Willer, R., & Schultz, M. (2014). Gossip and ostracism promote cooperation in groups. Psychological Science, 25(3), 656–664. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797613510184
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Fuller, B., Bajaba, A., & Bajaba, S. (2022). Enhancing and extending the meta-analytic comparison of newer genre leadership forms. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.872568
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Gatewood, R., & Carroll, A. (1991). Assessment of ethical performance of organization members: A conceptual framework. Academy of Management Review, 16(4), 667–690. https://doi.org/10.2307/258976
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Goodwin, G. P. (2015). Moral character in person perception. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 24(1), 38–44. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721414550709
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Goodwin, G., Piazza, J., & Rozin, P. (2014). Moral character predominates in person perception and evaluation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 106(1), 148–168. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034726
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Graham, K. A., Resick, C. J., Margolis, J. A., Shao, P., Hargis, M. B., & Kiker, J. D. Egoistic norms, organizational identification, and the perceived ethicality of unethical pro-organizational behavior: A moral maturation perspective. (2020). Human Relations, 73(9), 1249–1277. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726719862851
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Guo, L., Cheng, K., & Luo, J. (2021). The effect of exploitative leadership on knowledge hiding: A conservation of resources perspective. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 42(1), 83–98. https://doi.org/10.1108/lodj-03-2020-0085
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2019). Multivariate Data Analysis (8th ed.). Cengage Learning EMEA.
   Google Scholar
• Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2017). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (2nd ed.). Sage.
   Google Scholar
• Harman, H. (1976). Modern factor analysis. University of Chicago Press.
   Google Scholar
• Harvey, P. M., Stoner, J., Hochwarter, W. A., & Kacmar, C. J. (2007). Coping with abusive supervision: The neutralizing effects of ingratiation and positive affect on negative employee outcomes. The Leadership Quarterly, 18(3), 264–280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2007.03.008
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Hayes, A. F. (2022). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: a regression-based approach (methodology in the social sciences) (third).The Guilford Press.
   Google Scholar
• Hodson, R. (2001). Dignity at work. Cambridge University Press.
   Google Scholar
• Holtz, B. C., & Harold, C. M. (2013). Interpersonal justice and deviance: The moderating effects of interpersonal justice values and justice orientation. Journal of Management, 39(2), 339–365. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206310390049
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Kilduff, G., Galinsky, A., Gallo, E., & Reade, J. (2016). Whatever it takes to win: Rivalry increases unethical behavior. Academy of Management Journal, 59(5), 1508–1534. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2014.0545
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Krasikova, D. V., Green, S. G., & LeBreton, J. M. (2013). Destructive leadership: A theoretical review, integration, and future research agenda. Journal of Management, 39(5), 1308–1338. https://doi.org/10.1177/01492063124713
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Lee, A., Schwarz, G., Newman, A., & Legood, A. (2017). Investigating when and why psychological entitlement predicts unethical pro-organizational behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 154(1), 109–126. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3456-z
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Mackey, J. D., Ellen, B. P., McAllister, C. P., & Alexander, K. A. (2021). The dark side of leadership: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of destructive leadership research. Journal of Business Research, 132, 705–718. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.10.037
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Mackey, J. D., Frieder, R. E., Brees, J. R., & Martinko, M. J. (2017). Abusive supervision: A meta-analysis and empirical review. Journal of Management, 43(6), 1940–1965. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206315573997
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Malibari, M., & Bajaba, S. (2022). Entrepreneurial leadership and employees’ innovative behavior: A sequential mediation analysis of innovation climate and employees’ intellectual agility. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 7(4), 100255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2022.100255
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Miao, Q., Eva, N., Newman, A., Nielsen, I., & Herbert, K. (2020). Ethical leadership and unethical pro-organisational behaviour: The mediating mechanism of reflective moral attentiveness. Applied Psychology, 69(3), 834–853. https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12210
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Miller, B., & Simmering, M. (2022). Attitude toward the color blue: An ideal marker variable. Organizational Research Methods, 109442812210753(3), 409–440. https://doi.org/10.1177/10944281221075361
   Google Scholar
• Mishra, M., Ghosh, K., & Sharma, D. (2021). Unethical pro-organizational behavior: A systematic review and future research agenda. Journal of Business Ethics, 179(1), 63–87. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-021-04764-w
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Mitchell, M. S., & Ambrose, M. L. (2007). Abusive supervision and workplace deviance and the moderating effects of negative reciprocity beliefs. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(4), 1159–1168. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.4.1159
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Mitchell, M., Vogel, R., & Folger, R. (2015). Third parties’ reactions to the abusive supervision of coworkers. Journal of Applied Psychology, 100(4), 1040–1055. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000002
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Moore, C., Detert, J., Klebe Treviño, L., Baker, V., & Mayer, M. (2012). Why employees do bad things: Moral disengagement and unethical organizational behavior. Personnel Psychology, 65(1), 1–48. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2011.01237.x
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Naseer, S., Bouckenooghe, D., Syed, F., Khan, A. K., & Qazi, S. (2020). The malevolent side of organizational identification: Unraveling the impact of psychological entitlement and manipulative personality on unethical work behaviors. Journal of Business & Psychology, 35(3), 333–346. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-019-09623-0
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Newman, D. (2014). Missing data: Five practical guidelines‏. Organizational Research Methods, 17(4), 372–411. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428114548590
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Pelletier, K. L. (2010). Leader toxicity: An empirical investigation of toxic behavior and rhetoric. Leadership, 6(4), 373–389. https://doi.org/10.1177/1742715010379308
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Podsakoff, P., MacKenzie, S., Lee, J., & Podsakoff, N. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Podsakoff, P., MacKenzie, S., & Podsakoff, N. (2012). Sources of method bias in social science research and recommendations on how to control it. Annual Review of Psychology, 63(1), 539–569. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100452
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Rönkkö, M., & Ylitalo, J. (2011). PLS marker variable approach to diagnosing and controlling for method variance.‏ International Conference on Information Systems. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mikko_Roenkkoe/publication/221598872_PLS_marker_variable_approach_to_diagnosing_and_controlling_for_method_variance/links/53d531260cf228d363ea0792.pdf
   Google Scholar
• Ruiz-Palomino, P., Martínez-Cañas, R., & Bañón-Gomis, A. (2021). Is unethical leadership a negative for Employees’ personal growth and intention to stay? The buffering role of responsibility climate. European Management Review, 18(4), 535–549. https://doi.org/10.1111/emre.12461
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Ruiz-Palomino, P., Ruiz-Amaya, C., & Knörr, H. (2011). Employee organizational citizenship behaviour: The direct and indirect impact of ethical leadership. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences / Revue Canadienne des Sciences de l’Administration, 28(3), 244–258. https://doi.org/10.1002/cjas.221
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Sackett, P., & Harris, M. (1984). Honesty testing for personnel selection: A review and Critique. Personnel Psychology, 37(2), 221–245. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1984.tb01447.x
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Sackett, P., & Wanek, J. (1996). New developments in the use of measures of honesty integrity, conscientiousness, dependability, trustworthiness, and reliability for personnel selection. Personnel Psychology, 49(4), 787–829. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1996.tb02450.x
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Sadler-Smith, E., Akstinaite, V., Robinson, G., & Wray, T. (2016). Hubristic leadership: A Review. Leadership, 13(5), 525–548. https://doi.org/10.1177/1742715016680666
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Schilling, J. (2009). From ineffectiveness to destruction: A qualitative study on the meaning of negative leadership. Leadership, 5(1), 102–128. https://doi.org/10.1177/1742715008098312
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Schmid, E., Pircher Verdorfer, A., & Peus, C. (2017). Shedding light on leaders’ self-interest: Theory and measurement of exploitative leadership. Journal of Management, 45(4), 1401–1433. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206317707810
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Schmid, E., Pircher Verdorfer, A., & Peus, C. (2018). Different shades—different effects? consequences of different types of destructive leadership. Frontiers in Psychology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01289
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Schyns, B., & Schilling, J. M. (2013). How bad are the effects of bad leaders? A meta-analysis of destructive leadership and its outcomes. The Leadership Quarterly, 24(1), 138–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2012.09.001
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Seuntjens, T., Zeelenberg, M., van de Ven, N., & Breugelmans, S. (2019). Greedy bastards: Testing the relationship between wanting more and unethical behavior. Personality and Individual Differences, 138, 147–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2018.09.027
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Sturm, B. A., & Dellert, J. C. (2016). Exploring nurses’ personal dignity, global self-esteem and work satisfaction. Nursing Ethics, 23(4), 384–400. https://doi.org/10.1177/0969733014567024
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Tepper, B. (2000). Consequences of abusive supervision. Academy of Management Journal, 43(2), 178–190. https://doi.org/10.2307/1556375
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Tepper, B. J., Carr, J. C., Breaux, D. M., Geider, S., Hu, C., & Hua, W. (2009). Abusive supervision, intentions to quit, and employees’ workplace deviance: A power/dependence analysis. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 109(2), 156–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2009.03.004
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Trevino, L., & Youngblood, S. (1990). Bad apples in bad barrels: A causal analysis of ethical decision-making behavior. Journal of Applied Psychology, 75(4), 378–385. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.75.4.378
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Umphress, E., & Bingham, J. (2011). When employees do bad things for good reasons: Examining unethical pro-organizational behaviors. Organization Science, 22(3), 621–640. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1100.0559
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Umphress, E., Bingham, J., & Mitchell, M. (2010). Unethical behavior in the name of the company: The moderating effect of organizational identification and positive reciprocity beliefs on unethical pro-organizational behavior. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(4), 769–780. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019214
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Valle, M., Kacmar, K., & Zivnuska, S. (2017). Understanding the effects of political environments on unethical behavior in organizations. Journal of Business Ethics, 156(1), 173–188. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3576-5
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Valle, M., Kacmar, M., Zivnuska, S., & Harting, T. (2019). Abusive supervision, leader-member exchange, and moral disengagement: A moderated-mediation model of organizational deviance. The Journal of Social Psychology, 159(3), 299–312. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2018.1466776
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Wang, Z., Sun, C., & Cai, S. (2021). How exploitative leadership influences employee innovative behavior: The mediating role of relational attachment and moderating role of high-performance work systems. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 42(2), 233–248. https://doi.org/10.1108/lodj-05-2020-0203
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Williams, M. (2014). Serving the self from the seat of power. Journal of Management, 40(5), 1365–1395. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206314525203
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Zhang, P., Liu, W., Han, Y., & Muhammad, N. (2018). Exploring the role of moral disengagement in the link between perceived narcissistic supervision and employees’ organizational deviance: A moderated mediation model. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 21(4), 223–236. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajsp.12323
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar