Good intentions, bad behavior: A review and synthesis of the literature on unethical prosocial behavior (UPB) at work

Summary Scholars have investigated work behaviors that are intended to help others, yet at the same time violate societal values, norms, laws, or standards of proper conduct. We refer to these actions collectively as unethical prosocial behavior (UPB) at work. In this paper, we provide a critical re...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of organizational behavior Vol. 44; no. 2; pp. 335 - 354
Main Authors: Mo, Shenjiang, Lupoli, Matthew J., Newman, Alexander, Umphress, Elizabeth E.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Chichester Wiley Periodicals Inc 01.02.2023
Subjects:
Behavior
Ethics
Job performance
Literary criticism
Literature reviews
Measurement
Organizational behavior
Organizational change
Prosocial behavior
Research methodology
unethical behavior
unethical prosocial behavior
unethical pro‐group behavior
unethical pro‐leader behavior
unethical pro‐organizational behavior
ISSN:0894-3796, 1099-1379
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Summary Scholars have investigated work behaviors that are intended to help others, yet at the same time violate societal values, norms, laws, or standards of proper conduct. We refer to these actions collectively as unethical prosocial behavior (UPB) at work. In this paper, we provide a critical review of the UPB literature. Our review makes several contributions: First, we clarify definitional issues surrounding UPB, while also offering suggestions for the improvement of measurement and methodology in the study of UPB. Second, we review the major theoretical perspectives that have been adopted in empirical research on UPB at different levels of analysis and summarize the empirical findings on the topic. In doing so, we highlight the theoretical and empirical challenges facing this work. Finally, we develop an agenda for future research that clears a path toward resolving these issues and advancing knowledge of UPB.
Bibliography:Funding information
National Natural Science Foundation of China, Grant/Award Numbers: 71772158, 72172139
ObjectType-Article-1
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ISSN:0894-3796
1099-1379
DOI:10.1002/job.2617