How leader greed relates to employee unethical behavior: a moderated mediation model of leader self-serving behavior and employee moral attentiveness

Introduction Leader greed has potentially important implications for employee behavior, yet its relationship with employee unethical behavior and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigates how leader greed is associated with employee unethical behavior by examining the mediating role of leader self-serving behavior and the moderating role of employee moral attentiveness. Methods We conducted two three-wave, time-lagged studies to test our hypotheses. Study 1 used multisource data from 231 employees nested within 62 leaders to examine the mediating role of leader self-serving behavior in the relationship between leader greed and employee unethical behavior. Study 2 ( N = 401) replicated these findings and further tested the moderated mediation model, focusing on the moderating role of employee moral attentiveness. Results Leader greed was positively related to employee unethical behavior, and this relationship was mediated by leader self-serving behavior. Furthermore, employee moral attentiveness attenuated the positive relationship between leader self-serving behavior and employee unethical behavior, as well as the indirect effect of leader greed on employee unethical behavior through leader self-serving behavior. Discussion These findings extend greed research from an intrapersonal focus to an interpersonal and trickle-down perspective, revealing how leader greed relates to employee unethical behavior through leader self-serving behavior. By identifying employee moral attentiveness as an important boundary condition, our findings offer theoretical and practical insights into when and how leader greed is linked to interpersonal processes and employee ethical conduct within organizations.