Emotional and Subsequent Behavioral Responses After Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior: A Meta-Analysis Based Systematic Review

In recent years, the emotional responses caused by unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) has attracted the attention of scholars. Due to its inherently unethical nature, UPB may evoke negative emotions in employees (e.g., guilt), while its perceived pro-organizational intent may simultaneously elicit positive emotions (e.g., pride). Following the elicitation of emotional responses by UPB, different emotional reactions may subsequently lead to divergent behaviors. To examine the associations between UPB and its emotional responses as well as its subsequent behaviors, this study conducted a meta-analysis of 34 studies published between January 2016 and December 2024, encompassing 49 independent samples and a total of 83,810 participants. The results indicate that, UPB can elicit feelings of pride and psychological entitlement in individuals, and trigger the moral licensing effect (rationalizing subsequent unethical behavior) and the conscientiousness effect (enhancing organizational identification and promoting positive behaviors). The negative emotions such as guilt, shame, and anxiety caused by UPB can drive the moral slippery slope effect (lowering moral standards and engaging in more unethical behaviors) and the moral cleansing effect (repairing self-image through moral behaviors). As a self-regulatory mechanism, moral disengagement permeates the entire process of UPB, with employees resorting to moral disengagement to resolve the moral conflicts elicited by UPB.