Purpose Drawing on attribution theory, the present study examines the conditions under which ethical leadership affects employees' unethical pro-organizational behavior. From a psychological perspective, it explores the mediating effect of perceived leader hypocrisy and the moderating effect of employees' dispositional cynicism on this relationship. Design/methodology/approach A multi-wave, multi-source survey design was employed to collect data from employees and their immediate supervisors within the banking sector in Pakistan. Findings Ethical leadership demonstrates a negative association with employees' unethical pro-organizational behavior. This effect is mediated by perceived leader hypocrisy, as ethical leadership reduces perceptions of hypocrisy by influencing employees' attributional judgments regarding leaders' moral sincerity and behavioral integrity. Employees' dispositional cynicism diminishes both the direct and indirect effects, thereby weakening the impact of ethical leadership. Originality/value This study integrates attribution theory with leadership and personality perspectives to provide a psychologically grounded explanation of how leader behavior and follower interpretive tendencies jointly influence unethical pro-organizational behavior in managerial contexts.
Nasib Dar (Mon,) studied this question.