IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jbuset/v168y2021i1d10.1007_s10551-019-04218-4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

When Employees Retaliate Against Self-Serving Leaders: The Influence of the Ethical Climate

Author

Listed:
  • Stijn Decoster

    (Zayed University
    KU Leuven)

  • Jeroen Stouten

    (KU Leuven)

  • Thomas M. Tripp

    (Washington State University)

Abstract

Leaders have been shown to sometimes act self-servingly. Yet, leaders do not act in isolation and the perceptions of the ethical climate in which leaders operate is expected to contribute to employees taking counteractive measures against their leader (that is, employees’ desire for retaliation, and supervisor-directed deviance). We contend that in an ethical climate employees feel better equipped to stand up and take retaliation measures. Moreover, we argue that this is explained by employees’ feelings of trust. In two studies using different methods (an experimental study and a multi-source study), we predict and find evidence that the relationship between self-serving leader behavior and employees’ desire for retaliation and supervisor-directed deviance is stronger when the ethical climate is high rather than low. Moreover, we show that trust in the leader mediates these relationships.

Suggested Citation

  • Stijn Decoster & Jeroen Stouten & Thomas M. Tripp, 2021. "When Employees Retaliate Against Self-Serving Leaders: The Influence of the Ethical Climate," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 168(1), pages 195-213, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:168:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1007_s10551-019-04218-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-019-04218-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10551-019-04218-4
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10551-019-04218-4?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 search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. James B. Wade & Charles A. O'Reilly & Timothy G. Pollock, 2006. "Overpaid CEOs and Underpaid Managers: Fairness and Executive Compensation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 17(5), pages 527-544, October.
    2. Joireman, Jeff & Grégoire, Yany & Devezer, Berna & Tripp, Thomas M., 2013. "When do customers offer firms a “second chance” following a double deviation? The impact of inferred firm motives on customer revenge and reconciliation," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 89(3), pages 315-337.
    3. Stijn Decoster & Jeroen Stouten & Thomas M. Tripp, 2014. "Followers’ reactions to self-serving leaders: the influence of the organization's budget policy," American Journal of Business, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 29(3/4), pages 202-222, September.
    4. Newman, Alexander & Round, Heather & Bhattacharya, Sukanto & Roy, Achinto, 2017. "Ethical Climates in Organizations: A Review and Research Agenda," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 27(4), pages 475-512, October.
    5. Thau, Stefan & Bennett, Rebecca J. & Mitchell, Marie S. & Marrs, Mary Beth, 2009. "How management style moderates the relationship between abusive supervision and workplace deviance: An uncertainty management theory perspective," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 108(1), pages 79-92, January.
    6. Evans, Martin G., 1985. "A Monte Carlo study of the effects of correlated method variance in moderated multiple regression analysis," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 305-323, December.
    7. Laurie Barclay & David Whiteside & Karl Aquino, 2014. "To Avenge or Not to Avenge? Exploring the Interactive Effects of Moral Identity and the Negative Reciprocity Norm," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 121(1), pages 15-28, April.
    8. Crossley, Craig D., 2009. "Emotional and behavioral reactions to social undermining: A closer look at perceived offender motives," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 108(1), pages 14-24, January.
    9. Brown, Michael E. & Trevino, Linda K. & Harrison, David A., 2005. "Ethical leadership: A social learning perspective for construct development and testing," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 97(2), pages 117-134, July.
    10. David Mayer & Maribeth Kuenzi & Rebecca Greenbaum, 2010. "Examining the Link Between Ethical Leadership and Employee Misconduct: The Mediating Role of Ethical Climate," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 95(1), pages 7-16, September.
    11. Kelly Martin & John Cullen, 2006. "Continuities and Extensions of Ethical Climate Theory: A Meta-Analytic Review," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 69(2), pages 175-194, December.
    12. Schwepker, Charles Jr., 2001. "Ethical climate's relationship to job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intention in the salesforce," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 54(1), pages 39-52, October.
    13. Schminke, Marshall & Ambrose, Maureen L. & Neubaum, Donald O., 2005. "The effect of leader moral development on ethical climate and employee attitudes," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 97(2), pages 135-151, July.
    14. Liu, Haiyang & Chiang, Jack Ting-Ju & Fehr, Ryan & Xu, Minya & Wang, Siting, 2017. "How do leaders react when treated unfairly? Leader narcissism and self-interested behavior in response to unfair treatment," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 88208, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Chen, Ting-Hsuan & Liu, Shih-Ching & Wu, Chia-Hui, 2024. "The influence of CEO ethics on climate change policy from the perspective of utilitarianism and deontology," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    2. Georgiadou, Andri & Amari, Amina & Swalhi, Abdelaziz & Hofaidhllaoui, Mahrane, 2024. "How does perceived organizational support improve expatriates' outcomes during global crises? The mediating role of the ethical organizational climate in global organizations," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 30(3).

    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. Damini Saini & Sunita Singh Sengupta, 2021. "Leading the Indian Managers to Satisfaction: The Mediating Role of Ethical Climate," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 22(2), pages 485-499, April.
    2. Robert Cialdini & Yexin Jessica Li & Adriana Samper & Ned Wellman, 2021. "How Bad Apples Promote Bad Barrels: Unethical Leader Behavior and the Selective Attrition Effect," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 168(4), pages 861-880, February.
    3. M. Guerci & Giovanni Radaelli & Elena Siletti & Stefano Cirella & A. Rami Shani, 2015. "The Impact of Human Resource Management Practices and Corporate Sustainability on Organizational Ethical Climates: An Employee Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 126(2), pages 325-342, January.
    4. Pablo Ruiz-Palomino & Ricardo Martínez-Cañas & Joan Fontrodona, 2013. "Ethical Culture and Employee Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Person-Organization Fit," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 116(1), pages 173-188, August.
    5. Kubilay Gok & John J. Sumanth & William H. Bommer & Ozgur Demirtas & Aykut Arslan & Jared Eberhard & Ali Ihsan Ozdemir & Ahmet Yigit, 2017. "You May Not Reap What You Sow: How Employees’ Moral Awareness Minimizes Ethical Leadership’s Positive Impact on Workplace Deviance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 146(2), pages 257-277, December.
    6. Yuhyung Shin, 2012. "CEO Ethical Leadership, Ethical Climate, Climate Strength, and Collective Organizational Citizenship Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 108(3), pages 299-312, July.
    7. Pablo Ruiz-Palomino & Ricardo Martínez-Cañas, 2014. "Ethical Culture, Ethical Intent, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior: The Moderating and Mediating Role of Person–Organization Fit," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 120(1), pages 95-108, March.
    8. Ozgur Demirtas & A. Akdogan, 2015. "The Effect of Ethical Leadership Behavior on Ethical Climate, Turnover Intention, and Affective Commitment," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 130(1), pages 59-67, August.
    9. Magdaline Enow Mbi Tarkang Mary & Ali Ozturen, 2019. "Sustainable Ethical Leadership and Employee Outcomes in the Hotel Industry in Cameroon," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-18, April.
    10. Gong, Taeshik & Wang, Chen-Ya, 2022. "The effects of a psychological contract breach on customer-directed deviance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 374-386.
    11. Julena M. Bonner & Rebecca L. Greenbaum & David M. Mayer, 2016. "My Boss is Morally Disengaged: The Role of Ethical Leadership in Explaining the Interactive Effect of Supervisor and Employee Moral Disengagement on Employee Behaviors," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 137(4), pages 731-742, September.
    12. Laurent Auzoult & Crisanta-Alina Mazilescu, 2021. "Ethical Climate as Social Norm: Impact on Judgements and Behavioral Intentions in the Workplace," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-9, June.
    13. Jian Peng & Zhen Wang & Xiao Chen, 2019. "Does Self-Serving Leadership Hinder Team Creativity? A Moderated Dual-Path Model," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 159(2), pages 419-433, October.
    14. Sora Lee & Jaewon Yoo, 2021. "What Makes Employees Behave Innovatively? Empirical Evidence from South Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-17, December.
    15. Itai Beeri & Rachel Dayan & Eran Vigoda-Gadot & Simcha Werner, 2013. "Advancing Ethics in Public Organizations: The Impact of an Ethics Program on Employees’ Perceptions and Behaviors in a Regional Council," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 112(1), pages 59-78, January.
    16. Robert Stewart & Sabrina Volpone & Derek Avery & Patrick McKay, 2011. "You Support Diversity, But Are You Ethical? Examining the Interactive Effects of Diversity and Ethical Climate Perceptions on Turnover Intentions," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 100(4), pages 581-593, June.
    17. Akanksha Bedi & Can M. Alpaslan & Sandy Green, 2016. "A Meta-analytic Review of Ethical Leadership Outcomes and Moderators," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 139(3), pages 517-536, December.
    18. Mitchell Neubert & Dawn Carlson & K. Kacmar & James Roberts & Lawrence Chonko, 2009. "The Virtuous Influence of Ethical Leadership Behavior: Evidence from the Field," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 90(2), pages 157-170, December.
    19. Omar S. Itani & Fernando Jaramillo & Larry Chonko, 2019. "Achieving Top Performance While Building Collegiality in Sales: It All Starts with Ethics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 156(2), pages 417-438, May.
    20. Anne Joosten & Marius Dijke & Alain Hiel & David Cremer, 2014. "Being “in Control” May Make You Lose Control: The Role of Self-Regulation in Unethical Leadership Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 121(1), pages 1-14, April.

    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:168:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1007_s10551-019-04218-4. 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.