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Abusive Supervision and Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior: The Mediating Role of Status Challenge and the Moderating Role of Leader–Member Exchange

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  • Guanxing Xiong
  • Huadong Huang
  • Yingyi Ma
  • Cuiqi Liang
  • Haixia Wang

Abstract

Unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) refers to unethical behavior that employees engage in to benefit their organization. Although UPB has received great attention from management scholars, little research has tested the influence of negative and destructive behavior from supervisors, such as abusive supervision, on UPB. Using conservation of resources theory, this study examines when and how abusive supervision affects UPB. Data were obtained from Chinese enterprises, and 368 time-tagged questionnaires were analyzed to test the moderated mediation model. Results revealed that abusive supervision positively influences UPB and that status challenge mediated this relation. Furthermore, the indirect effect of status challenge was moderated by leader–member exchange (LMX). Specifically, this effect was stronger when LMX was high. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings, and propose future research directions.

Suggested Citation

  • Guanxing Xiong & Huadong Huang & Yingyi Ma & Cuiqi Liang & Haixia Wang, 2021. "Abusive Supervision and Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior: The Mediating Role of Status Challenge and the Moderating Role of Leader–Member Exchange," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(3), pages 21582440211, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:sagope:v:11:y:2021:i:3:p:21582440211033560
    DOI: 10.1177/21582440211033560
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Samuel Aryee & Li-Yun Sun & Zhen Xiong George Chen & Yaw A. Debrah, 2008. "Abusive Supervision and Contextual Performance: The Mediating Role of Emotional Exhaustion and the Moderating Role of Work Unit Structure," Management and Organization Review, The International Association for Chinese Management Research, vol. 4(3), pages 393-411, November.
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    11. Allan Lee & Gary Schwarz & Alexander Newman & Alison Legood, 2019. "Investigating When and Why Psychological Entitlement Predicts Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 154(1), pages 109-126, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yuxiang Luan & Kai Zhao & Zheyuan Wang & Feng Hu, 2023. "Exploring the Antecedents of Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior (UPB): A Meta-Analysis," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 187(1), pages 119-136, September.
    2. Lixin Chen & Qingxiong Weng, 2023. "Authoritarian-Benevolent Leadership and Employee Behaviors: An Examination of the Role of LMX Ambivalence," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 186(2), pages 425-443, August.

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