Job demands and employees’ unethical pro-organizational behaviors: Emotional exhaustion as a mediator

Abstract

We examined employees’ unethical pro-organizational behaviors (UPBs) during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our objectives were to determine the effects of job demands on UPBs and emotional exhaustion. We conducted a survey in three rounds with a sample of 339 employees in the financial industry in Taiwan, who were selected because they were in positions where they were unable to work from home during the pandemic. The results revealed that job demands and emotional exhaustion were associated with UPBs. This study sheds light on the challenges faced by frontline workers with specialized knowledge who were unable to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, and expands understanding of the antecedents of UPBs. Implications, limitations, and future research directions based on the findings are discussed.