Ethical human resource management to decrease employees’ unethical behaviour in China: the role moral meaningfulness and ethical predisposition

Silu Chen, Guanglei Zhang, Wenxing Liu and Yuan Tian

Asia Pacific Business Review, 2025, vol. 31, issue 4, 778-798

Abstract: This study draws from self-concept-based theory and conducts empirical research in China with a sample of 218 leader-follower dyadic. We found support for our hypotheses that ethical HRM has a significant influence on employees’ moral meaningfulness, which in turn deters their unethical behaviour. In addition, ethical predisposition (i.e. utilitarianism and formalism) has different boundary effects on the relationship between ethical HRM and unethical behaviour. That is, the negative relationship between moral meaningfulness and unethical behaviour is accentuated by both a low level of utilitarianism and a high level of formalism. We discuss the implications and propose future research directions.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/13602381.2023.2293091

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