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Leader honesty/humility and subordinate organizational citizenship behavior: a case of too-much-of-a-good-thing?

Ziya Ete (Durham University Business School, Durham University, Durham, UK)
John J. Sosik (Great Valley School of Graduate and Professional Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA)
Minyoung Cheong (Great Valley School of Graduate and Professional Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA)
Jae Uk Chun (Korea University Business School, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea)
Weichun Zhu (Zeigler College of Business, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, USA)
Fil J. Arenas (United State Air Force Air University, Montgomery, Alabama, USA)
Joel A. Scherer (United State Air Force Air University, Montgomery, Alabama, USA)

Journal of Managerial Psychology

ISSN: 0268-3946

Article publication date: 5 June 2020

Issue publication date: 25 August 2020

1636

Abstract

Purpose

On the basis of theories of social cognition and moral identity and the meta-theoretical principle of “too-much-of-a-good-thing,” the purpose of this study is to develop and test a model that explains when and why leader honesty/humility promotes subordinate organizational citizenship behavior directed at individuals (OCBI) as mediated through subordinate moral identity centrality.

Design/methodology/approach

In this field study, with online surveys, multisource data were collected from 218 United States Air Force officers and their subordinates. Data were analyzed with MEDCURVE SPSS macro tools.

Findings

A nonlinear indirect effect of leader honesty/humility on subordinate OCBI through subordinate moral identity centrality was found. This conditional indirect effect occurred through a curvilinear (inverted U-shape) relationship between leader honesty/humility and subordinate moral identity centrality and a positive linear relationship between subordinate moral identity centrality and OCBI.

Research limitations/implications

Cross-sectional data were collected. Future research might replicate findings using experimental and longitudinal designs.

Practical implications

Recruiting and selecting leaders who possess a moderate level of honesty/humility may serve as the first step in producing prosocial behavior during social interactions with subordinates.

Originality/value

This study extends the literature on character and leadership by applying the too-much-of-a-good-thing principle to empirically test the complex nature of the relationship between leader honesty/humility and subordinate OCBI as mediated through subordinate moral identity centrality.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This study was partially supported by Korea University Business School Research Grant.

Citation

Ete, Z., Sosik, J.J., Cheong, M., Chun, J.U., Zhu, W., Arenas, F.J. and Scherer, J.A. (2020), "Leader honesty/humility and subordinate organizational citizenship behavior: a case of too-much-of-a-good-thing?", Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 35 No. 5, pp. 391-404. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-10-2019-0557

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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