The Double-Edged Sword Effect of Leader Humility on Follower Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior: Based on Social Identity Theory

Drawing on social identity theory, this study investigated leader humility’s double-edged sword effect on follower unethical pro-organizational behavior via the mediating roles of perceived insider status and leader–member guanxi. Furthermore, we also examined leader trust’s moderating role in the relationship between perceived insider status/leader–member guanxi and unethical pro-organizational behavior. We tested our hypotheses using data collected from 569 participants from service and IT enterprises in Shandong, China, using a survey conducted at two time points. The study used SPSS to evaluate the common method variance, and confirmatory factor analysis using AMOS was performed to test the measurement model’s suitability. SPSS was used to test all the hypotheses, and multiple regression analysis determined the relationships among the variables. The results showed that leader humility can weaken follower unethical pro-organizational behavior via perceived insider status; leader humility can also enhance leader–member guanxi to strengthen follower unethical pro-organizational behavior. Additionally, a follower’s leader trust can moderate the relationship between perceived insider status and unethical pro-organizational behavior. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and managerial implications, limitations, and directions for future research.