Investigating a sequential mediation effect between unethical leadership and unethical pro-family behavior: testing moral awareness as a moderator

ABSTRACTThis study aims to investigate the effect of unethical leadership on unethical pro-family behavior through the sequential mediating effect of emotional exhaustion and unethical pro-organizational behavior and the moderating role of moral awareness among hospitality industry employees. Data were collected from frontline employees of 5-star hotels in Iran’s leading tourist destination cities. Testing hypotheses were conducted using models 6 and 8 of PROCESS Macro SPSS. The results indicated that unethical leadership contributed to unethical pro-family behavior through direct and sequential mediating effects of emotional exhaustion and unethical pro-organizational behavior. Empirical evidence also confirmed that moral awareness moderated the relationship between unethical leadership and unethical pro-organizational behavior. In contrast, its moderating effect on the relationship between unethical leadership and unethical pro-family behavior was insignificant. This study offers new insights into our understanding of unethical leadership and its consequences in the hospitality industry.本研究旨在通过情绪衰竭和不道德亲组织行为的顺序中介作用以及酒店业员工道德意识的调节作用，调查不道德领导对不道德亲家庭行为的影响.数据来自伊朗主要旅游目的地城市五星级酒店的一线员工.使用PROCESSMacro SPSS的模型6和8进行假设检验.研究结果表明，不道德的领导通过情绪衰竭和不道德的亲组织行为的直接和顺序中介作用，促成了不道德的亲家行为.经验证据也证实，道德意识调节了不道德领导和不道德亲组织行为之间的关系.相反，它对不道德领导和不道德亲家庭行为之间关系的调节作用是微不足道的.这项研究为我们对酒店业不道德领导及其后果的理解提供了新的见解.KEYWORDS: unethical leadershipemotional exhaustionunethical pro-organizational behaviorunethical pro-family behaviormoral awarenessstimulus-organism-response theory Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).