<p>This study investigates the intricate relationships between managers’ bottom-line attitude (BLA) and counterproductive work behavior (CWB) among employees in the context of Egypt’s higher education institutions. Specifically, it examines the extent to which BLA influences CWB and explores the mediating role of organizational cynicism in this relationship. Additionally, the study posits that the impact of organizational cynicism on CWB is further intensified by the moderating effect of ethical individuality. Employing a cross-sectional research design, data were collected from a sample of 357 academic and administrative employees across various higher education institutions in Egypt. The theoretical framework was empirically tested using Composite-Based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM), providing robust insights into the complex interplay between the variables. The findings reveal a significant direct link between BLA and CWB, indicating that a strong focus on bottom-line outcomes by managers is associated with higher incidences of counterproductive behaviors among employees. Furthermore, organizational cynicism was found to mediate this relationship, suggesting that BLA fosters cynicism among employees, which in turn, leads to increased CWB. Importantly, the study highlights the moderating role of ethical individuality, where the influence of organizational cynicism on CWB is amplified among employees with lower levels of ethical individuality. This indicates that employees’ ethical standards and personal values can significantly shape the extent to which organizational cynicism translates into counterproductive behaviors.</p>