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When Employees Do Bad Things for Good Reasons: Examining Unethical Pro-Organizational Behaviors

Author

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  • Elizabeth E. Umphress

    (Mays Business School, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843)

  • John B. Bingham

    (Department of Organizational Leadership and Strategy, Marriott School of Management, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84604)

Abstract

We propose that employees sometimes engage in unethical acts with the intent to benefit their organization, its members, or both---a construct we term unethical pro-organizational behavior . We suggest that positive social exchange relationships and organizational identification may lead to unethical pro-organizational behavior indirectly via neutralization, the process by which the moral content of unethical actions is overlooked. We incorporate situational and individual-level constructs as moderators of these relationships and consider managerial implications and future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Elizabeth E. Umphress & John B. Bingham, 2011. "When Employees Do Bad Things for Good Reasons: Examining Unethical Pro-Organizational Behaviors," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(3), pages 621-640, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:22:y:2011:i:3:p:621-640
    DOI: 10.1287/orsc.1100.0559
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    References listed on IDEAS

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