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<p>Grounded in social learning theory and complementarity theory, this study explores the relationship between ethical leadership and subordinates’ ingratiation behaviors based on data collected from a three-wave survey of 846 supervisor-subordinate dyads in China. The results demonstrate a U-shaped relationship between ethical leadership and subordinates’ ingratiation, alongside an inverted U-shaped relationship with subordinates’ moral attentiveness. As ethical leadership shifts from low to moderate levels, subordinates’ moral attentiveness increases while their ingratiation decreases. In contrast, as ethical leadership moves from moderate to high levels, subordinates’ moral attentiveness declines while ingratiation increases. Additionally, the intensity of these curvilinear relationships varies between employees with high and low power distance orientations. This study discusses the theoretical and practical implications of these findings, especially concerning the development of ethical leadership practices and the management of subordinates’ ingratiation.</p>

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To be upright or to be subservient? Unraveling the curvilinear relationship between ethical leadership and subordinate ingratiation behavior

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月20日

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  • Caiting Yu,
  • Xiaoyu Liu

摘要

Grounded in social learning theory and complementarity theory, this study explores the relationship between ethical leadership and subordinates’ ingratiation behaviors based on data collected from a three-wave survey of 846 supervisor-subordinate dyads in China. The results demonstrate a U-shaped relationship between ethical leadership and subordinates’ ingratiation, alongside an inverted U-shaped relationship with subordinates’ moral attentiveness. As ethical leadership shifts from low to moderate levels, subordinates’ moral attentiveness increases while their ingratiation decreases. In contrast, as ethical leadership moves from moderate to high levels, subordinates’ moral attentiveness declines while ingratiation increases. Additionally, the intensity of these curvilinear relationships varies between employees with high and low power distance orientations. This study discusses the theoretical and practical implications of these findings, especially concerning the development of ethical leadership practices and the management of subordinates’ ingratiation.