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

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.