Social Comparison and Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior:Multilevel Perspective Based on Social Comparison theory
ZHANG Guang-xi1 XU Qin2 CHAN Andrew3
(1.College of Economics and Management, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China; 2. School of Economics and Management,SoutheastUniversity, Nanjing 211189, China; 3. College of Business, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China)
Abstract:The purpose of this study is to understand how social comparison motivates employees’ unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB).Social comparison is reflected in different aspects:the desire for status is an indicator of individual comparison preference; the relative leader–member exchange (RLMX) is social comparison information; the leader-member exchange (LMX) differentiation is a context for social comparison. Through a two-stage survey of 407 employees in 91 teams, the study found that the RLMX, desire for status, and LMX differentiation promoted UPB. The desire for status and LMX differentiation positively moderated the relationshipbetween RLMX and UPB.