This study draws on the social cognitive theory to examine the effect of perceived market competition on employees’ unethical marketing and selling practices. The boundary conditions associated with this relationship were examined, and we posit that perceived market competition is related to unethical marketing and selling practices through the mediating mechanism of moral disengagement. We further propose that ethical leadership moderates the relationship between the perceived threat of market competition, moral disengagement, and tendency toward unethical marketing and selling practices. We tested our hypotheses with a sample of 387 employees working in the banking sector in Pakistan. Our results suggest that moral disengagement had a full mediation effect between the perceived threat of market competition and tendency of employees toward unethical marketing and selling practices. Moreover, ethical leadership moderated the relationship between moral disengagement and the tendency of employees toward unethical marketing practices. The research findings indicate that when field employees encounter threat perceptions due to market competition, they have a propensity toward engaging in unethical marketing and selling practices when they can activate moral disengagement. This study also found that ethical leadership negatively moderates the relationship of moral disengagement with employees’ tendency toward unethical marketing and selling practices.

中文翻译：

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员工感知的市场竞争威胁对不道德营销和销售行为的影响：道德脱离和道德领导

本研究利用社会认知理论来检验感知市场竞争对员工不道德的营销和销售行为的影响。研究了与这种关系相关的边界条件，我们假设感知到的市场竞争通过道德脱离的中介机制与不道德的营销和销售行为有关。我们进一步提出，道德领导可以调节感知到的市场竞争威胁、道德脱离以及不道德营销和销售行为趋势之间的关系。我们用在巴基斯坦银行业工作的 387 名员工作为样本检验了我们的假设。我们的结果表明，道德脱离在感知到的市场竞争威胁与员工对不道德营销和销售行为的倾向之间具有完全的中介作用。此外，道德领导调节了道德脱离与员工不道德营销实践倾向之间的关系。研究结果表明，当现场员工因市场竞争而遇到威胁感知时，当他们可以激活道德脱离接触时，他们倾向于从事不道德的营销和销售行为。本研究还发现，道德领导对道德脱离与员工不道德营销和销售行为倾向之间的关系产生负面影响。道德领导调节了道德脱离与员工不道德营销行为倾向之间的关系。研究结果表明，当现场员工因市场竞争而遇到威胁感知时，当他们可以激活道德脱离接触时，他们倾向于从事不道德的营销和销售行为。这项研究还发现，道德领导对道德脱离与员工不道德的营销和销售行为倾向之间的关系产生负面影响。道德领导调节了道德脱离与员工不道德营销行为倾向之间的关系。研究结果表明，当现场员工因市场竞争而遇到威胁感知时，当他们可以激活道德脱离接触时，他们倾向于从事不道德的营销和销售行为。这项研究还发现，道德领导对道德脱离与员工不道德的营销和销售行为倾向之间的关系产生负面影响。当他们可以激活道德脱离时，他们倾向于从事不道德的营销和销售行为。本研究还发现，道德领导对道德脱离与员工不道德营销和销售行为倾向之间的关系产生负面影响。当他们可以激活道德脱离时，他们倾向于从事不道德的营销和销售行为。这项研究还发现，道德领导对道德脱离与员工不道德的营销和销售行为倾向之间的关系产生负面影响。