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Behavioral Integrity: How Leader Referents and Trust Matter to Workplace Outcomes

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  • Rangapriya Kannan-Narasimhan
  • Barbara Lawrence

Abstract

Behavioral integrity (BI) is the alignment pattern between an actor’s words and deeds as perceived by another person. Employees’ perception that their leader’s actions and words are consistent leads to desirable workplace outcomes. Although BI is a powerful concept, the role of leader referents, the relationship between perceived BI of different referents, and the process by which BI affects outcomes are unclear. Our purpose is to elaborate upon this process and clarify the role of different leader referents in determining various outcomes. To understand the impact of referents, we explicitly compared the BIs of two leader referents: senior management and supervisor. In contrast to previous research findings where supervisory BI was found to have a stronger relationship with outcomes than senior management, we find that both referents are important. However, their impact varies based upon the outcome studied. Only senior management BI predicted organizational commitment, while senior management BI, supervisory BI and supervisory trust predicted organizational cynicism. Only trust in supervisor, and not supervisory BI, impacted organizational citizenship behaviors. When senior management is the referent, trust and not BI might play an important role for outcomes that require extensive employee investments, such as organizational commitment. In contrast, when the outcome measured does not require employee investments, BI might have a direct impact on the outcome. We also uncovered that trust in supervisor substantially influences the trust employees have in their senior management. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012

Suggested Citation

  • Rangapriya Kannan-Narasimhan & Barbara Lawrence, 2012. "Behavioral Integrity: How Leader Referents and Trust Matter to Workplace Outcomes," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 111(2), pages 165-178, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:111:y:2012:i:2:p:165-178
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-011-1199-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Anne Davis & Hannah Rothstein, 2006. "The Effects of the Perceived Behavioral Integrity of Managers on Employee Attitudes: A Meta-analysis," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 67(4), pages 407-419, September.
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    1. Shao-Long Li & Yuanyuan Huo & Li-Rong Long, 2017. "Chinese Traditionality Matters: Effects of Differentiated Empowering Leadership on Followers’ Trust in Leaders and Work Outcomes," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 145(1), pages 81-93, September.
    2. Cam Caldwell & Harry Hobbs & Quindeja Berry & Tyra Massey & Ian Williamson, 2023. "Diversity, Bias & Integrity: Leadership Implications," Business and Management Research, Business and Management Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 12(2), pages 21-32, July.
    3. Tony Simons & Hannes Leroy & Veroniek Collewaert & Stijn Masschelein, 2015. "How Leader Alignment of Words and Deeds Affects Followers: A Meta-analysis of Behavioral Integrity Research," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 132(4), pages 831-844, December.
    4. He Peng & Feng Wei, 2020. "How and When Does Leader Behavioral Integrity Influence Employee Voice? The Roles of Team Independence Climate and Corporate Ethical Values," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 166(3), pages 505-521, October.
    5. Shenjiang Mo & Junqi Shi, 2017. "Linking Ethical Leadership to Employee Burnout, Workplace Deviance and Performance: Testing the Mediating Roles of Trust in Leader and Surface Acting," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 144(2), pages 293-303, August.
    6. Wenhao Song & Jie Deng & Fangfang Zhang & Xuerong Peng & Xiangdong Jin, 2024. "Activating employee pro-environmental behavior in the workplace: the effects of environmental self-identity and behavioral integrity," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(8), pages 1-27, August.
    7. Marina Anna Schmitz & Fabian Jintae Froese & Anna Katharina Bader, 2018. "Organizational cynicism in multinational corporations in China," Asia Pacific Business Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(5), pages 620-637, October.
    8. Agarwal, Upasna A & Gupta, Megha & Cooke, Fang Lee, 2022. "Knowledge hide and seek: Role of ethical leadership, self-enhancement and job-involvement," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 770-781.
    9. Sean A. Way & Tony Simons & Hannes Leroy & Elizabeth A. Tuleja, 2018. "What is in it for Me? Middle Manager Behavioral Integrity and Performance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 150(3), pages 765-777, July.
    10. Martha Andrews & K. Kacmar & Charles Kacmar, 2015. "The Interactive Effects of Behavioral Integrity and Procedural Justice on Employee Job Tension," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 126(3), pages 371-379, February.
    11. He Peng & Feng Wei, 2018. "Trickle-Down Effects of Perceived Leader Integrity on Employee Creativity: A Moderated Mediation Model," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 150(3), pages 837-851, July.
    12. Gretchen R. Vogelgesang & Craig Crossley & Tony Simons & Bruce J. Avolio, 2021. "Behavioral Integrity: Examining the Effects of Trust Velocity and Psychological Contract Breach," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 172(1), pages 175-190, August.
    13. Ariail, Donald L. & Khayati, Amine & Shawver, Tara, 2021. "Perceptions by employed accounting students of ethical leadership and political skill: Evidence for including political skill in ethics pedagogy," Journal of Accounting Education, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    14. Yongjun Choi & David J. Yoon & Dongkyu Kim, 2020. "Leader Behavioral Integrity and Employee In-Role Performance: The Roles of Coworker Support and Job Autonomy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-14, June.
    15. Ziya Ete & Olga Epitropaki & Qin Zhou & Les Graham, 2022. "Leader and Organizational Behavioral Integrity and Follower Behavioral Outcomes: The Role of Identification Processes," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 176(4), pages 741-760, April.

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