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Relative Leader-Member Exchange and Unethical Pro-leader Behavior: The Role of Envy and Distributive Justice Climate

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Abstract

In the team context, leaders usually develop differentiated leader-member exchange relationships with employees, resulting in some employees having relatively inferior relationships with the leader than others. Nevertheless, how and when employees with low relative leader-member exchange (RLMX) relationships react toward the leader have been rarely considered in empirical research. Drawing upon social comparison theory, we develop a cross-level moderated mediation model to examine how and when RLMX may lead to employee’s unethical pro-leader behavior (UPLB). We propose that employees with low RLMX would feel envy which in turn motivates them to engage in UPLB in order to gain the rewards and resources that are distributed by the leader. Further, we argue that envy is less likely to motivate low RLMX employees to engage in UPLB when distributive justice climate is high, because high distributive justice indicates that rewards and resources are distributed fairly (based on work contribution rather than engaging in unethical behaviors that please the leader). Data were obtained from 504 employees in 102 divisional teams in a large retail corporation at three time points. Results of the multilevel moderated mediation analysis show that envy mediates the effect of RLMX on UPLB and that the indirect relationship is moderated by team-level distributive justice climate. These findings suggest the importance of adopting a social comparison perspective to understand the negative consequences of RLMX via emotional mechanisms.

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Data Availability

Data used and analyzed in the current study are available upon request.

Notes

  1. The results without control variables are available upon request from the first author.

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Funding

This research was supported in part by Grant No. 71772158 and 72172139 awarded to Shenjiang Mo from the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Guanghua School of Management, Peking University, Beijing, China

    Han Li

  2. Department of Management and Marketing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong

    Shimin Zhang

  3. School of Management, Zhejiang University, No. 388 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China

    Shenjiang Mo

  4. Melbourne Business School, University of Melbourne, Carlton, Australia

    Alexander Newman

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  1. Han Li
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Correspondence to Shenjiang Mo.

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Appendices

Appendix

Scales Used in the Current Study

Leader-Member Exchange

My supervisor would be personally inclined to help me solve problems in my work.

My working relationship with my supervisor is effective.

I have enough confidence in my supervisor that I would defend and justify his/her decisions if he or she were not present to do so.

My supervisor considers my suggestions for change.

My supervisor and I are suited to each other.

My supervisor understands my problems and needs.

My supervisor recognizes my potential.

Envy

My supervisor values the efforts of others more than she/he values my efforts.

It is somewhat annoying to see others have all the luck in getting the best assignments.

I don’t know why, but I usually seem to be the underdog at work.

I don’t imagine I’ll ever have a job as good as some that I’ve seen.

Most of my coworkers have it better than I do.

Distributive Justice Climate

In our team, employee’s outcomes (e.g., the salary, rewards and the promotion) reflect the effort we have put into the work.

In our team, employee’s outcomes (e.g., the salary, rewards and the promotion) is appropriate for the work we have completed.

In our team, employee’s outcomes (e.g., the salary, rewards and the promotion) reflect what we have contributed to the organization.

In our team, employee’s outcomes (e.g., the salary, rewards and the promotion) is justified, given our performance.

Unethical Pro-leader Behavior

Because it was needed, I have concealed information from others that could be damaging to my supervisor.

Because my supervisor needed me to, I have not revealed to others a mistake he/she made that would damage his/her reputation.

Because it helped my supervisor, I have exaggerated the truth about my supervisor’s performance to others.

Because it benefited my supervisor, I have withheld negative information about my supervisor’s performance from others.

Because it helped my supervisor, I have misrepresented the truth to make my supervisor look good.

Because my supervisor needed me to, I spoke poorly of another individual who was a problem for my supervisor.

Control Variable

Moral Identity—Internalization Dimension

Caring, Compassionate, Fair, Friendly, Generous, Helpful, Hardworking, Honest and Kind

It would make me feel good to be a person who has these characteristics.

Being someone who has these characteristics is an important part of who I am.

I would be ashamed to be a person who has these characteristics. (R).

Having these characteristics is not really important to me. (R).

I strongly desire to have these characteristics.

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Li, H., Zhang, S., Mo, S. et al. Relative Leader-Member Exchange and Unethical Pro-leader Behavior: The Role of Envy and Distributive Justice Climate. J Bus Ethics (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-023-05492-z

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