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

Abstract

UPB elicits various and heterogeneous subsequent behaviors through positive and negative emotions, a phenomenon that warrants a comprehensive meta-analysis. This study synthesized 34 studies from both English and Chinese databases (49 independent samples, N = 83,810), published between 2016 and 2024. The results reveal that positive emotions (e.g., pride, psychological entitlement) trigger the moral licensing effect of rationalizing further unethical conduct and the conscientiousness effect of enhancing organizational identification and promoting positive behaviors. Conversely, negative emotions (e.g., guilt, shame) drive the moral cleansing effect of motivating reparative moral behaviors. Additionally, negative emotions can also lead to the moral slippery slope effect of inducing unethical conduct. Moreover, moral disengagement was identified as a self-regulatory mechanism that permeates this entire process, enabling employees to navigate the moral conflicts arising from UPB. This study uncovers the dual nature of UPB from an emotional perspective.