Why narcissistic individuals engage in unethical pro-organizational behavior. Testing a moderated mediation model

Purpose The purpose of the current research is to study the relationship between narcissism and unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB), and also examine whether status striving mediates the relationship between narcissism and UPB among individuals with high organizational identification. Design/methodology/approach Data that was used to test the research model were collected from five companies in the trading sector in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The final sample included 200 responses, among all participants 29.5% were in a leadership position. Findings The current research found that narcissism leads individuals to exhibit a willingness to engage in UPB. Furthermore, status striving mediates the relationship between narcissism and UPB among individuals with high organizational identification. Research limitations/implications Research did not use actual reported UPB but measured employees' willingness to engage in UPB. Practical implications Organizations should develop special ethics guidance to change the employee's perceptions of UPB from the act of helping or protecting the organization to undesirable behavior in the organization. Moreover, the organization may develop an ethical counseling program, by which individuals may perceive that ethical behavior is valuable for the organization. Originality/value Current study examines the relationship between narcissism and UPB. Moreover, it provides empirical support for the notion that the relationship between narcissism and UPB is mediated by status striving among individuals with high organizational identification.