Unethical pro-organizational behavior as an outcome of servant leadership

Abstract

Abstract This study tested the relationship between servant leadership, unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) of employee, trust in managers, and employees' positive reciprocity beliefs (PRB). Data were collected from 392 employees who work in four and five-star hotels in Alanya, Turkey. Structural equation modeling and artificial neural network analyses provided evidence for direct and indirect relationships between servant leadership and employee UPB via trust in manager and PRB. Specifically, trust in manager and PRB strengthened the relationship of servant leadership with employee UPB. These findings suggest that servant leadership could have a previously unexplored dark side in certain contexts. The study enhances the servant leadership and UPB literature. It also suggests certain practical implications for hotel managers to be able to reduce employee UPB. The limitations and future research suggestions of the study are discussed.