Unraveling the impact of unethical pro-organizational behavior: the roles of manager-employee exchange, customer-employee exchange, and reciprocity beliefs

This study aims to investigate the multifaceted impact of unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) in the context of manger-employee exchange and customer-employee exchange. Using a sample of 238 hair salon triads comprising owner/managers, hairstylist employees, and customers, we tested a hypothesized moderated mediation model. UPB has dual effects on OCB: It enhances manager-employee exchange, leading to increased OCB toward the organization. Simultaneously, UPB is associated with reduced customer-employee exchange, resulting in decreased OCB toward the customer. Moreover, managers’ positive reciprocity beliefs strengthen the positive UPB-manager-employee exchange link, while customers’ negative reciprocity beliefs reinforce the negative UPB-customer-employee exchange association. This study is distinct in its focus on elucidating how UPB influences OCB toward the organization and OCB toward the customer through two distinct forms of social exchange, namely, manager-employee exchange and customer-employee exchange, respectively.