Linking perceived ethical leadership to workplace cheating behavior: A moderated mediation model of moral identity and leader-follower value congruence

Lei Yue; Chenghao Men; Xuman Ci

doi:10.1007/s12144-022-03279-5

Linking perceived ethical leadership to workplace cheating behavior: A moderated mediation model of moral identity and leader-follower value congruence

Curr Psychol. 2022 Jun 17:1-13. doi: 10.1007/s12144-022-03279-5. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Lei Yue¹, Chenghao Men², Xuman Ci²

Affiliations

¹ Shandong University of Finance and Economics, Jinan, China.
² Shandong University, No. 27, Shanda South Road, Jinan, Shandong Province China.

Abstract

According to social learning theory, we examine the effect of ethical leadership by investigating how moral identity resulting from ethical leadership influences employees' workplace cheating behaviors. Adopting a moderated mediation framework, this study suggests that leader-follower value congruence moderates the positive relationship between ethical leadership and employees' moral identity and mitigates the indirect effect of ethical leadership on employees' workplace cheating behaviors. The results of this study, drawn from a sample of 243 full-time employees and their direct supervisors, support these hypotheses. As such, this study provides novel theoretical and empirical insights into ethical leadership and workplace cheating behavior.

Keywords: Ethical leadership; Leader-follower value congruence; Moral identity; Workplace cheating behavior.