Restraint or indulgence? The double-edged effects of leader mindfulness on subordinate moral disengagement and unethical pro-organizational behavior

Abstract

While the majority of research on leader mindfulness demonstrates its benefits for organizations, we deviate from this consensus by identifying a potential dark side of leader mindfulness. Drawing on social cognitive theory, we propose that leader mindfulness may inadvertently foster moral disengagement among subordinates, subsequently leading to their unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB). Specifically, we argue that subordinate bottom-line mentality (BLM) serves as a reversal factor, such that leader mindfulness increases (vs. decreases) subordinate moral disengagement when subordinate BLM is higher (vs. lower). Furthermore, we theorize that the indirect effect of leader mindfulness on UPB through moral disengagement is positive for subordinates with higher BLM and negative for those with lower BLM. Findings from a time-lagged field study involving 262 leader-subordinate dyads provide support for our moderation and moderated mediation hypotheses. We thus shed light on the potential perils of leader mindfulness by combining the “good intentions” of leaders with the “bad traits” of subordinates to explain the ethical decision-making process underlying UPB.