The moral licensing effect between work effort and unethical pro-organizational behavior: The moderating influence of Confucian value

Kong, Ming; Xin, Jie; Xu, Wenxiao; Li, Haonan; Xu, Dandan

doi:10.1007/s10490-020-09736-8

Cited by 21 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…By exploring the mediating role of moral self-concept in the relationship between other in-group members' OCB and employees' organizational deviance, this work demonstrates that moral self-concept also accounts for the effect of vicarious moral licensing, as is the case with the moral licensing effect (Monin and Jordan, 2009;Sachdeva et al, 2009). Additionally, while previous research has provided support for the mediating roles of moral credits and moral credentials in the moral licensing effect (Kong et al, 2020;Lin et al, 2016;Yam et al, 2017), this study further demonstrates that moral self- A moral licensing perspective concept underlies the moral licensing effect of other in-group members' OCB on employees' organizational deviance. In doing so, this study advances our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the moral licensing effect in a group context.…”

Section: Theoretical Implicationssupporting

confidence: 56%

“…Specifically, they found that employees who engage in OCB because of an external motivation can have a feeling of entitlement, and that feeling can license employees to engage in both interpersonal and organizational deviance. Recently, Kong et al (2020) demonstrated that moral credentials mediated the moral licensing effect of work effort on unethical pro-organizational behavior. These investigations provide evidence for the moral credits and moral credentials mechanisms of the moral licensing effect.…”

Section: A Moral Licensing Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

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The effect of other in-group members' organizational citizenship behavior on employees' organizational deviance: a moral licensing perspective

Nguyen

2021

JABES

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PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the moral licensing effect of other in-group members' organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) on focal employees' organizational deviance through moral self-concept. This paper also examines the moderating role of in-group identification in the mediated relationship.Design/methodology/approachThe multilevel path analysis and bootstrapping technique are employed to analyze the findings of a sample of 340 employees in 56 workgroups in Vietnam.FindingsThe results demonstrate that moral self-concept mediates the positive relationship between other in-group members' OCB and focal employees' organizational deviance. Furthermore, the findings indicate that in-group identification strengthens the indirect effect of other in-group members' OCB on focal employees' organizational deviance via moral self-concept.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that managers should be aware of the potential negative consequences of OCB and the drawbacks of in-group identification in group contexts. In addition, practitioners should proactively prevent other in-group members' OCB from resulting in employees' organizational deviance.Originality/valueThis is the first study to examine the moral licensing effect of OCB on organizational deviance through the moral self-concept mechanism and the moderating role of in-group identification in this mediated relationship.

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Section: Theoretical Implicationssupporting

confidence: 56%

Section: A Moral Licensing Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of other in-group members' organizational citizenship behavior on employees' organizational deviance: a moral licensing perspective

Nguyen

2021

JABES

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“…Therefore, if individuals perform good deeds, moral self-perception increases, breaking their moral equilibrium. Hence, they earn a "license" to perform bad behavior to maintain a moral self-perception balance (Ahmad et al, 2021;Kong et al, 2022;Lasarov and Hoffmann, 2020). Miller and Effron (2010) suggest that moral licensing works through two mechanisms: moral credits and moral credentials.…”

Section: Moral Licensing Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hence, they earn a “license” to perform bad behavior to maintain a moral self-perception balance (Ahmad et al. , 2021; Kong et al. , 2022; Lasarov and Hoffmann, 2020).…”

Section: Theoretical Background and Hypotheses Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unpacking the relationship between customer citizenship behavior and dysfunctional customer behavior: the role of customer moral credits and entitlement

Gong

Wang

2023

JSTP

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PurposeWhile the positive effects of customer citizenship behavior are well established, research on its potential negative consequences is scarce. This study aims to examine the indirect relationship between customer citizenship and dysfunctional customers via customer moral credits and entitlement, as well as the moderating influence of customer citizenship fatigue.Design/methodology/approachStudy 1 employed a cross-sectional design with a self-administered survey. The data were collected from 314 customers using an online research panel. In Study 2, the authors manipulated customer citizenship behavior using 203 participants to establish causality and rule out alternative explanations of the findings of Study 1. In Study 3, the authors replicated Study 2 and enhanced internal validity by using a more controlled experimental design using 128 participants.FindingsThis study shows that when customer citizenship fatigue is high, customer citizenship behavior elicits customer moral credit, which leads to customer entitlement and, in turn, promotes dysfunctional customer behavior. Conversely, when customer citizenship fatigue is low, customer citizenship behavior does not generate moral credit or entitlement, preventing dysfunctional customer behavior.Practical implicationsThe study shows that promoting customer citizenship behavior does not always lead to positive outcomes. Therefore, when promoting customer citizenship behavior, managers should consider the psychological licensing process and ways to mitigate the influence of moral credits.Originality/valueThis study challenges common wisdom and investigates the dark side of customer citizenship behavior. Specifically, it demonstrates that customer citizenship behavior could backfire (e.g. dysfunctional customer behavior). It also shows that only customers who experience a high level of fatigue from their citizenship behaviors are psychologically licensed to gain moral credit, leading to dysfunctional customer behavior.

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“…Supervisors contribute to the development of the perception of what their organization is obligated to do for them, subsequently affecting employee work attitudes and behaviors (Kong, Xin, Xu, Li, & Xu, 2020). To achieve desired outcomes supervisors can coerce subordinates to work harder and longer.…”

Section: Mediating Role Of Unethical Pro-supervisor Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Workplace Status on Employee Expediency and Intention to Sabotage: Mediating Role of Unethical Pro-Supervisor Behavior

Saleem

Naseer

2022

NRJSS

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Humans have an innate desire to attain high status as it provides the individual with greater resources and benefits. This study particularly focuses on the workplace where status is quite evident. The positive aspect of workplace status dominates in the existing literature by linking it with desirable outcomes, but less attention has been placed on examining its dark side. Utilizing the social influence theory, this study empirically investigates the link between workplace status and employee expediency and intention to sabotage in presence of unethical pro-supervisor behavior as mediator. This study is based on a quantitative research design. Using the Hayes PROCESS technique in SPSS, on three-wave primary data collected (N=250) from employees of service sector organizations in Pakistan, our results reveal that workplace status triggers employee expediency and intention to sabotage through the underlying mechanism of unethical-pro supervisor behavior. This study finds considerable support for all the hypotheses pertaining to direct and indirect effects. Overall, our research extends the literature on the dark side of workplace status and unethical behaviors and advances social influence theory by providing support and offers insightful theoretical and practical implications for inhibiting unethical behaviors in the workplace. Limitations and future research directions have also been discussed at the end.

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The moral licensing effect between work effort and unethical pro-organizational behavior: The moderating influence of Confucian value

Cited by 21 publications

References 70 publications

The effect of other in-group members' organizational citizenship behavior on employees' organizational deviance: a moral licensing perspective

The effect of other in-group members' organizational citizenship behavior on employees' organizational deviance: a moral licensing perspective

Unpacking the relationship between customer citizenship behavior and dysfunctional customer behavior: the role of customer moral credits and entitlement

Impact of Workplace Status on Employee Expediency and Intention to Sabotage: Mediating Role of Unethical Pro-Supervisor Behavior

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