Moral Dilemmas in the Context of Organizational Loyalty: A Study on the Mechanism and Boundary Conditions of the Effect of Moral Justification Tendency on Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the manifestations and drivers of unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB). This study focuses on employees’ moral justification tendency (MJT) to examine its influence on UPB and the boundary conditions shaping this relationship. Drawing on self-regulation theory and social cognitive theory, we propose and empirically test a moderated mediation model that incorporates an emotional mechanism (guilt) and an individual difference factor (self-monitoring tendency). Survey data were collected from 514 employees across diverse industries in China using the Questionnaire Star platform and analyzed with structural equation modeling (SEM). The results reveal that: (1) moral justification tendency exerts a significant positive effect on UPB; (2) guilt partially mediates the relationship between moral justification tendency and UPB; and (3) self-monitoring tendency moderates the indirect effect of moral justification tendency on UPB via guilt, thereby supporting the moderated mediation model. By mapping a cognition-emotion-behavior pathway, this study demonstrates how moral justification tendency can operate as a double-edged sword in organizational contexts. The findings extend theoretical understanding of UPB antecedents and provide practical implications for managing employee behavior within the Chinese cultural setting.