Ethical Leadership and Unethical Pro‐Organisational Behaviour: The Mediating Mechanism of Reflective Moral Attentiveness

Abstract

This study examines the mediating effects of reflective moral attentiveness on the relationship between ethical leadership and subordinates’ unethical pro‐organisational behaviour (UPB). Based on two‐wave survey data obtained from 233 employees in 60 teams from Chinese government agencies, we found that ethical leadership was positively related to reflective moral attentiveness. In addition, we found that reflective moral attentiveness mediated the relationship between ethical leadership and UPB, such that ethical leadership negatively influenced subordinates’ unethical pro‐organisational behaviour through enhancing reflective moral attentiveness.