When Good Deeds Backfire: External CSR, Supervisors’ Mentality, and Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior

Sulaimani M.N.H.A. Memon M.A. Mirza M.Z. Sarwar N. Obaid A.
January/February 2026 John Wiley and Sons Inc

Global Business and Organizational Excellence
2026 #45 Issue 2 178 - 188 pp.

Drawing on vicarious moral licensing theory, this study examines the influence of perceived external CSR on unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB), which subsequently affects perceived supervisor-rated performance (PSRP). It further investigates the mediating role of UPB in the CSR–PSRP relationship and the moderating effect of supervisors’ bottom-line mentality (SBLM) on the CSR–UPB link. Using multiple sampling techniques, data were collected from 184 professionals employed in service sector organizations. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied to test the hypothesized model. Results indicate that perceived external CSR positively influences UPB, which in turn raises employees’ PSRP. UPB also mediates the relationship between perceived CSR and PSRP. Moreover, SBLM strengthens the relationship between external CSR and UPB. This study is among the first to examine the link between perceived external CSR, UPB, and PSRP, thereby contributing to vicarious moral licensing literature in workplace settings. It also addresses the limited research on the moderating role of SBLM in the CSR–UPB relationship.

bottom-line mentality , external CSR , unethical pro-organizational behavior , vicarious moral licensing theory

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NUST Business School, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
Faculty of Business, Sohar University, Sohar, Oman
Business School, Suleyman Demirel University, Kaskelen, Kazakhstan
Strategic Research Institute, Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
School of Management, New Uzbekistan University, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

NUST Business School
Faculty of Business
Business School
Strategic Research Institute
School of Management

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