Descriptive statistics.

This study delves into the complex dynamics of ethical leadership’s influence on employees’ pro-social rule-breaking behavior, taking into account the mediating role of psychological capital and the moderating effect of moral identity. Using data collected from nursing staff in Pakistani hospitals and analyzed through PLS SEM, the study yielded unexpected results. Contrary to the initial hypotheses, the findings reveal a positive relationship between ethical leadership and employees’ pro-social rule-breaking behavior within organizational settings. Furthermore, the study identifies psychological capital as a key mediator in this relationship, while moral identity emerges as a crucial moderator. These results challenge the conventional perception of ethical leadership as an exclusively positive form of leadership and underscore its unintended consequences. Moreover, they underscore the significance of employees’ psychological processes and individual differences in unraveling this paradoxical relationship. These results have the potential to reshape how organizations view ethical leadership and consider the unintended outcomes it may generate. Future research can build upon these findings to explore the boundaries and contextual factors that influence the effects of ethical leadership, ultimately contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of leadership dynamics in diverse organizational settings.

本研究深入探究伦理型领导（ethical leadership）对员工亲社会违规行为（pro-social rule-breaking behavior）的复杂影响机制，同时考量心理资本（psychological capital）的中介作用与道德认同（moral identity）的调节效应。本研究采集巴基斯坦医院护理人员的调研数据，并采用偏最小二乘结构方程模型（PLS SEM）开展分析，却得到了出乎预期的研究结果。与初始研究假设相悖，研究结果显示：在组织情境中，伦理型领导与员工亲社会违规行为呈正向关联。此外，本研究证实心理资本在该关联中发挥关键中介作用，道德认同则扮演重要调节角色。上述结果挑战了将伦理型领导视为纯粹正向领导形式的传统认知，并凸显了其未被预期的潜在影响。同时，研究结果也强调了员工心理过程与个体差异在解析这一悖论性关联中的重要意义。这些结果有望重塑组织对伦理型领导的认知，并促使其关注该领导模式可能产生的未预期影响。未来研究可基于此发现，进一步探究影响伦理型领导效应的边界条件与情境因素，最终助力学界更全面地理解多元组织情境下的领导互动动态。