Since COVID-19, the global landscape has become increasingly uncertain, marked by economic fluctuations and political instability. Macro environmental uncertainty, referring to the complexity and unpredictability related to economic and political developments, has garnered extensive attention in organizational research. However, its implications for individual behavior—particularly prosocial behavior—remain less understood. Drawing on Weiner et al.’s (1972) causal ascription model, we theorize that individuals in highly uncertain contexts are more likely to adopt chance-based attributions for success, which ultimately undermines their prosocial intentions. We test these hypotheses in two studies. Study 1 utilized archival data from the World Uncertainty Index and the World Values Survey across 54 countries to test the relationship between macro environmental uncertainty and prosocial behavior, as well as the mediating effect of chance-based attribution. Study 2 employed an experimental manipulation of macro environmental uncertainty to examine its causal effects. We consistently find that people in uncertain macro environment are more likely to believe chance rather than effort as a responsible factor for success, and in turn less likely to engage in prosocial behavior. Our findings extend research on the micro-level consequences of environmental uncertainty and offer a novel mechanism to explain how external turbulence shapes individuals’ willingness to engage in prosocial actions.
