IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jbuset/v201y2025i1d10.1007_s10551-025-05979-x.html

The Ethical Downside of Giving Employees the Trust They Want: When Trust Congruence Leads to Unethical Pro-supervisor Behavior

Author

Listed:
  • Karim Mignonac

    (University of Toulouse Capitole, CNRS)

  • Marie Caussimont

    (University of Toulouse Capitole, CNRS)

  • Jennifer Boutant Lapeyre

    (University of Toulouse Capitole, CNRS)

  • Caroline Manville

    (University of Toulouse Capitole, CNRS)

Abstract

Recent research and conventional wisdom suggest that behavioral demonstrations of trust by supervisors toward their subordinates are most effective when those demonstrations match subordinates’ desires. In the present research, we offer a more nuanced view by identifying one downside of a match between supervisors’ expressions and subordinates’ desired trusting behaviors (i.e., trust congruence). Namely, this situation may inadvertently encourage subordinates to engage in unethical acts with the intention of benefiting their supervisor (i.e., unethical pro-supervisor behavior; UPSB). Drawing on social exchange theory and moral disengagement theory, we argue that trust congruence helps promote positive social exchange relationships between supervisors and subordinates. The desire to maintain or reinforce these relationships, in turn, leads subordinates to engage in UPSB indirectly via moral disengagement. We further argue that ethical leadership represents an important boundary condition regarding this process, as it guides subordinates’ social exchange responses and thus prevents them from engaging in behaviors that are not aligned with the ethical expectations of their supervisors. Our model is progressively supported by four main studies (an experiment and three time-lagged field studies) and two supplemental studies. This research improves our understanding of the ethical consequences of trust congruence and has practical implications for organizations seeking to support trust-building initiatives.

Suggested Citation

  • Karim Mignonac & Marie Caussimont & Jennifer Boutant Lapeyre & Caroline Manville, 2025. "The Ethical Downside of Giving Employees the Trust They Want: When Trust Congruence Leads to Unethical Pro-supervisor Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 201(1), pages 63-92, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:201:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s10551-025-05979-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-025-05979-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10551-025-05979-x
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10551-025-05979-x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sally Gunz & Linda Thorne, 2015. "Introduction to the Special Issue on Tone at the Top," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 126(1), pages 1-2, January.
    2. Hana Huang Johnson & Elizabeth E. Umphress, 2019. "To Help My Supervisor: Identification, Moral Identity, and Unethical Pro-supervisor Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 159(2), pages 519-534, October.
    3. Sally Gunz & Linda Thorne, 2015. "Erratum to: Introduction to the Special Issue on Tone at the Top," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 126(1), pages 167-167, January.
    4. Ulf Schaefer & Onno Bouwmeester, 2021. "Reconceptualizing Moral Disengagement as a Process: Transcending Overly Liberal and Overly Conservative Practice in the Field," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 172(3), pages 525-543, September.
    5. Tae-Yeol Kim & Jie Wang & Junsong Chen, 2018. "Mutual Trust Between Leader and Subordinate and Employee Outcomes," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 149(4), pages 945-958, June.
    6. Treviño, Linda Klebe & Butterfield, Kenneth D. & McCabe, Donald L., 1998. "The Ethical Context in Organizations: Influences on Employee Attitudes and Behaviors," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 8(3), pages 447-476, July.
    7. Cristina Thomas Alberti & Jean C. Bedard & Olof Bik & Ann Vanstraelen, 2022. "Audit Firm Culture: Recent Developments and Trends in the Literature," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(1), pages 59-109, January.
    8. Hongyu Zhang & Xin Lucy Liu & Yahua Cai & Xiuli Sun, 2023. "Paved with Good Intentions: Self-regulation Breakdown After Altruistic Ethical Transgression," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 186(2), pages 385-405, August.
    9. Taolin Wang & Lirong Long & Yong Zhang & Wei He, 2019. "A Social Exchange Perspective of Employee–Organization Relationships and Employee Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior: The Moderating Role of Individual Moral Identity," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 159(2), pages 473-489, October.
    10. 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.
    11. Madhurima Mishra & Koustab Ghosh & Dheeraj Sharma, 2022. "Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior: A Systematic Review and Future Research Agenda," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 179(1), pages 63-87, August.
    12. David Effelsberg & Marc Solga & Jochen Gurt, 2014. "Transformational Leadership and Follower’s Unethical Behavior for the Benefit of the Company: A Two-Study Investigation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 120(1), pages 81-93, March.
    13. 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.
    14. Tessa Haesevoets & David De Cremer & Leander De Schutter & Jack McGuire & Yu Yang & Xie Jian & Alain Van Hiel, 2021. "Transparency and Control in Email Communication: The More the Supervisor is Put in cc the Less Trust is Felt," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 168(4), pages 733-753, February.
    15. Albert Satorra & Peter Bentler, 2001. "A scaled difference chi-square test statistic for moment structure analysis," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 66(4), pages 507-514, December.
    16. Shike Li & Kriti Jain & Konstantina Tzini, 2022. "When Supervisor Support Backfires: The Link Between Perceived Supervisor Support and Unethical Pro-supervisor Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 179(1), pages 133-151, August.
    17. Alexander Newman & Huong Le & Andrea North-Samardzic & Michael Cohen, 2020. "Moral Disengagement at Work: A Review and Research Agenda," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 167(3), pages 535-570, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hu, Changya & Pham, Mai & Chen, Yen-Yu & Bruning, Patrick F., 2026. "A meta-analysis of incremental, comparative, and conditional motivations of unethical pro-organizational behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    2. Kangmin Lee, 2023. "Leader-Member Exchange, Supervisor Identification, and Unethical Pro-Supervisor Behavior: The Mediating Role of Supervisor Identification," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(3), pages 21582440231, September.
    3. Wenli Jiang & Yuping Xie, 2024. "How Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior Links to Actors’ and Observers’ Behaviors: A Meta-Analysis," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(3), pages 21582440241, August.
    4. Kangmin Lee, 2020. "The Effect of Supervisor Identification on Unethical Pro-Supervisor Behavior: The Moderating Role of Employability Perceptions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-16, December.
    5. Tomasz Gigol, 2020. "Gender Differences in Engagement in Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior—Two Studies in Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    6. Shike Li & Kriti Jain & Konstantina Tzini, 2022. "When Supervisor Support Backfires: The Link Between Perceived Supervisor Support and Unethical Pro-supervisor Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 179(1), pages 133-151, August.
    7. Anupama A. Jolly & Patrick D. Dunlop & Sharon K. Parker & Lisette Kanse, 2026. "It’s Not My Responsibility: Working with Autonomy-Restricting Algorithms Facilitates Unethical Behavior and Displacement of Responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 203(2), pages 405-424, January.
    8. Bulin Zhang & Xiangmin Liu & Zhengtang Zhang, 2025. "Warding Off Cognitive Dissonance: How Supervisor Perspective Taking Shapes the Responses of Employees Who Engage in Unethical Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 199(1), pages 71-84, June.
    9. Ming Kong & Jie Xin & Wenxiao Xu & Haonan Li & Dandan Xu, 2022. "The moral licensing effect between work effort and unethical pro-organizational behavior: The moderating influence of Confucian value," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 39(2), pages 515-537, June.
    10. Tang, Pok Man & Yam, Kai Chi & Koopman, Joel, 2020. "Feeling proud but guilty? Unpacking the paradoxical nature of unethical pro-organizational behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 68-86.
    11. Wang, Juehui & Chieh Chen, Chih & Shen, Tao & Fan, Fan & Fosh, Patricia & Guo, Yuxuan, 2024. "Family matters! Antecedents and boundary conditions of unethical pro-family behaviors," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    12. Lin Xu & Jigan Wang, 2020. "Influence of Challenge–Hindrance Stressors on Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior: Mediating Role of Emotions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-17, September.
    13. Zhu Yao & Jinlian Luo & Na Fu & Xianchun Zhang & Qunchao Wan, 2022. "Rational Counterattack: The Impact of Workplace Bullying on Unethical Pro-organizational and Pro-family Behaviors," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 181(3), pages 661-682, December.
    14. Ying Wang & Shufeng Xiao & Run Ren, 2022. "A Moral Cleansing Process: How and When Does Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior Increase Prohibitive and Promotive Voice," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 176(1), pages 175-193, February.
    15. Xuemei Liu & Ying Wang & Fan Yang & Qianyao Huang, 2024. "When the Punisher is Both Potential Victim and (Intended) Beneficiary: Investigating Observers’ Attitudinal and Behavioral Reactions Toward Organizational Punishment Severity for Unethical Pro-Organizational Behaviors," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 195(4), pages 859-877, December.
    16. Imran Hameed & Ghulam Ali Arain & Irfan Hameed & Ancy Gamage & Michael K. Muchiri, 2025. "How and When Does Employee Creativity Relate to Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior? Unmasking the Negative Side of Organizational Creativity," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 199(2), pages 331-349, June.
    17. Alqhaiwi, Zaid Oqla, 2024. "A bright side to unethical pro-organizational behavior: Improving work performance by satisfying psychological needs," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    18. Xue Zhang & Liang Liang & Guyang Tian & Yezhuang Tian, 2020. "Heroes or Villains? The Dark Side of Charismatic Leadership and Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-16, July.
    19. Ken Cheng & Qianlin Zhu & Yinghui Lin, 2022. "Family-Supportive Supervisor Behavior, Felt Obligation, and Unethical Pro-family Behavior: The Moderating Role of Positive Reciprocity Beliefs," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 177(2), pages 261-273, May.
    20. Zhang, Long & Zhang, Chuang & Shen, Ya Xi & Liu, Haiping, 2025. "Why being labeled “creative” triggers employees’ unethical pro-organizational behavior: The role of felt obligation for constructive change and Machiavellianism," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:201:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s10551-025-05979-x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.