"Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior" Conceptualization (systematic review approach)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Public Management Ph.D., Public Administration Department, Institute for management and planning studies (IMPS), Tehran, Iran

2 Associated Professor, Public Administration Department, Faculty of Management and Accounting, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran.

3 Assistant Professor, Public Administration Department, Faculty of Management, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran.

4 Assistant Professor in International Business Management, Institute for Management and Planning Studies (IMPS), Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Extended Abstract
Abstract
In recent years, organizational researchers have been focusing on other types of Unethical behaviors called "Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior (UPB)". Although the nature of the unethical behavior is negative, UPB is different because the purpose of this behavior is to benefit the organization. Our goal in this research is to identify the exact boundaries of UPB, so that the concept of this behavior can be clearly identified. We use systematic review method with searching valid key words such as: Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior, detrimental citizenship behavior, Necessary Evils, Pro- Social Rule Breaking, Illegal corporate behavior, organizational misbehavior and etc. in these databases: Science Direct, Emerald, Sage, Academy of Management Journal and etc. Accordingly, 50 articles were collected between 1958 and 2017, and similar concepts were compared with unethical pro-organizational behavior. The results showed that there is a definite and specific conceptual boundary between Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior and similar concepts.
Introduction
Existing research has examined the impact of individual characteristics, organizational characteristics and moral events on the incidence of immoral behaviors. But they mainly focus on unethical behaviors such as stealing from the organization, damaging the equipment of the organization, etc., which harm the organization's interests (Kish-Gephart et al., 2010; Trevino et al., 2006), and the behaviors that Violating ethical concepts, ignoring laws, regulations and social values ​​in favor of the organization has been underestimated. These kinds of behaviors are called “Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior (UPB)” (Umpheress & Bingham, 2011).
Case study
In order to select articles, a list of titles and abstract of all articles were prepared by the researcher and examined in order to determine the relevant topics. Then related articles entered the research process independently of all cases. At first, 142 articles were selected and reviewed, 47 of which were repeated. Of the 95 papers reviewed, 22 articles were excluded due to non-compliance with the criteria of this review. Also, 23 articles were omitted from the study process because they did not explicitly refer to the concept of UPB. Finally, 50 papers were selected for analysis and review.
Materials and Methods
We use systematic review method with searching valid key words such as: Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior, detrimental citizenship behavior, Necessary Evils, Pro- Social Rule Breaking, Illegal corporate behavior, organizational misbehavior and etc. in these databases: Science Direct, ProQuestDiscovery, Ebrary, EbscoAll, Libgen, Springer, Emerald, Jstor, Wiley, Sage, Academy of Management Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, and Psychological Science and etc.
Discussion and Results
In order to conceptualizing unethical pro-organizational behaviour in this study, 50 articles that were conducted between years from 1958 to 2017 were investigated. An unethical pro-organizational behavior is a relatively new concept. Unethical pro-organizational behavior includes actions that are illegal or contrary to the values and norms of the community.
Unethical pro-organizational behavior has a dual concept. In any case, considered to be unethical in terms of society, it may have a good purpose (for example, the benefit of an organization) and have a moral justification (Goal, justifies the means). This kind of behavior is the same as Arendt (1945) describes in his article: "Organized crime and Global Responsibility." In this paper, he analyzes why individuals act irresponsibly and limit their wide community to the benefit of their organization. Employees can set up a rigid framework without regard to the external environment (Peloza and Shang, 2011) and create a small moral world that is likely outside of the organization, the world cannot survive (Brief et al., 2000: 484). In this case, morality is a function of rationalism that is instrumental in helping the organization to achieve its goals (Bauman, 1991). 
Researcher's investigation of information sources suggests that unethical pro-organizational behavior with concepts such as Illegal corporate behavior (Baucus & Baucus, 1997), necessary evils (Molinsky and Margolis, 2005), organizational misbehavior (Vardi & Weitz, 2004), positive deviance (Warren, 2003) and pro-social rule-breaking (Morrison, 2006) have important differences, although they have somewhat similarities.
Conclusion
It can be discussed that if the behavior has any of the following characteristics, it is excluded from the involvement of unethical pro-organizational behavior and cannot be considered as this Type of behavior:
v  Included in job descriptions;
v  Include ethical actions;
v  Also done in an involuntary manner;
v  To benefit community;
v  In line with the norms of society;
v  Self-interest;
v  Damage to the organization;
v  Roots in the theory of reasoned conduct and the theory of social information processing;
v  Violate the rules and norms of the organization;
v  Harm to the interests of shareholders.
In fact, it can be argued that behaviors that occur in the organization, if they include the following characteristics, that is, include all of the features mentioned at the same time, are categorized as unethical pro-organizational behavior. These features include (Barnt (2017), Tsiwa (2016), Chen et al (2016), Levin and Schweitzer (2015 and 2014), Gino, Ayal and Aryli (2013), Palmer (2012), Umphress and Bingham (2011), Umphress et al. (2010), Gino and Pierce (2009), Scott (2003), Donaldson and Dunfee (1994), Jones (1991)):
v  Violate core societal values, mores and laws;
v  Violate standards of proper conduct and ethics;
v  Voluntary and self-conscious;
v  To the benefit of the organization or its members, not the self;
v  Achieving the goal is essential;
v  It is not mandatory to violate the norms within the organization;
v  Not included in job descriptions;
v  Rooted in the theory of social exchange.
The main concept of unethical pro-organizational behaviors is that these behaviors must necessarily violate the norms, rules, or standards of proper and ethical conduct (Umphress and Bingham, 2011). That is, if behavior is in line with norms, laws, or standards of behavior of the community, they will be excluded from the scope of these behaviors. Unethical pro-organizational behaviors must be done deliberately and voluntarily, and its purpose must necessarily be to benefit the organization, the staff of the organization, or both, and this goal should occur during this behavior. This behavioral phenomenon is rooted in social exchange theory and is not included in the person's job description, meaning that the organization or its directors do not formally and explicitly issue any instructions to employees to do so. Finally, it is not necessary to violate the norms of the organization in order to behavior classified as an unethical pro-organizational behavior.

Keywords

References

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