Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior
Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior
- Alexander Newman, Alexander NewmanBusiness, Deakin University
- Shenjiang MoShenjiang MoManagement, Zhejiang University
- , and Matthew LupoliMatthew LupoliManagement, Monash University
Summary
Unethical behavior in organizations persists in many forms across industries and nations. What often unites these behaviors is an underlying motivation to benefit oneself, typically for financial reasons, and frequently at the expense of others. However, unethical behaviors are not only committed with selfish intentions. Sometimes, employees commit unethical behaviors with the motivation to aid the organization or its members. These actions are known in the literature as unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB). Despite their benevolent intentions, UPB has the potential to yield detrimental outcomes for individuals and organizations—including those it is intended to help. As such, a growing body of research has been devoted to better understanding the antecedents and consequences of these actions.
Keywords
Subjects
- Ethics
- Organizational Behavior