When Supervisor Support Backfires: The Link Between Perceived Supervisor Support and Unethical Pro-supervisor Behavior

Shike Li (), Kriti Jain () and Konstantina Tzini ()
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Shike Li: IE University
Kriti Jain: IE University
Konstantina Tzini: CUNEF

Journal of Business Ethics, 2022, vol. 179, issue 1, No 8, 133-151

Abstract: Abstract Perceived supervisor support is widely studied in terms of its positive outcomes. This paper, in contrast, investigates employees’ unethical pro-supervisor behavior as a negative consequence of perceived supervisor support. Drawing upon the multifoci approach of social exchange theory and the reciprocity principle, we hypothesized that perceived supervisor support can engender unethical pro-supervisor behavior via employees’ feelings of reciprocity towards the supervisor. Building on the instrumental reasons that underlie social exchanges, we further hypothesized that this mediation relationship is stronger for employees high in Machiavellianism. We collected data for three experimental studies from full-time MBA students of a European business school (Study 1: N = 72) and from U.S. working professionals (Study 2: N = 320; Study 3: N = 325), and the results provided consistent support for our proposed model. Taken together, the current study highlights the “dark side” of perceived supervisor support, in that it can lead to unethical behavior and that this effect can be accentuated by employees’ Machiavellianism.

Keywords: Perceived supervisor support; Unethical pro-supervisor behavior; Social exchange; Reciprocity; Machiavellianism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10551-021-04797-1

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