19605: Punishing or Ignoring? Supervisor Reactions to Subordinate Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior (session 25554)

The unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) of subordinates has been found to be associated with positive responses from supervisors, such as improved performance evaluations of subordinates. However, we argue that existing research has overlooked the “unethical” nature of UPB. Based on cognitive appraisal theory, we propose that subordinate UPB is positively related to supervisors’ emotional ambivalence. Drawing on ambivalence theory, we argue that this emotional ambivalence indirectly intensifies supervisors’ subsequent low performance evaluations, disciplinary actions, and ignoring behavior toward subordinates engaging in UPB. Additionally, we contend that supervisor moral ownership can amplify the impact of subordinate UPB on their emotional ambivalence. Through two experiments, we find that subordinate UPB is positively correlated with supervisor emotional ambivalence and also amplifies their subsequent disciplinary actions toward subordinates as well as lowers their performance evaluations. Furthermore, supervisors with high moral ownership experience greater emotional ambivalence and are more likely to engage in disciplinary actions against subordinates after observing UPB, compared to those with low moral ownership.

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