Unraveling the Paradox: How Organizational Citizenship Behavior Can Lead to Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior

Abstract

In today's globalized and highly competitive markets, organizations strive to gain an edge by investing in skilled, informed, and content human capital that exhibits productive pro-organizational behaviors. However, individuals driven by their commitment to the organization, as demonstrated through organization-oriented organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), may cross ethical boundaries in pursuit of organizational benefits, leading to what is termed as unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB). This study draws on established theoretical frameworks such as Social Identity Theory (SIT), Social Exchange Theory (SET), and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). We propose a mediated-moderation model that explores UPB as a potential negative outcome of OCB, mediated by social exchange (SE), and moderated by moral attentiveness (MA) and collectivist orientation (CO). As the first study of its kind to examine the OCB-UPB relationship, this review aims to significantly contribute to the knowledge base surrounding UPB