ItemArticle

Gender Matters: Psychological Drivers of Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior in India

Title
Gender Matters: Psychological Drivers of Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior in India
Creator
Kumar, Unnikannan P Santhosh; Jaiswal, Chetna; Kumar, Narsingh
Description
Unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB), a phenomenon that has emerged through corporate misconduct worldwide, stands as a challenge to organizational and societal sustainability. Despite its impact, the influence of gender on UPB and other related psychological variables remains underexplored. This study tries to understand the role of gender, particularly on how UPB, often related to masculine traits, is affected by psychological ownership and psychological contract (relational). Given the predominantly patriarchal society of India, this study gains relevance as ethical decision-making might be affected by traditional gender roles, where nurturance, frequently associated with women, might have a say. A sample of 300 employees working as sales executives, team leads, and managers from various Ed-tech institutes in India were selected and employed the UPB scale, psychological contract scale, and psychological ownership scale. The data were then subjected to correlation, regression, t-test, and moderation using SPSS-24 and Hayes Process Macro. Results revealed a significant association between UPB, psychological ownership, and psychological contract, where the latter two significantly predicted UPB. A significant gender difference was found among all three variables, where the relationship between psychological ownership and UPB was significantly higher among males. These findings are then explained using various theoretical and historical antecedents and ultimately shedding light on what needs to be done for its alleviation. 2025 K J Somaiya Institute of Management
Source
Business Perspectives and Research;
Date
01-01-2025
Publisher
SAGE Publications Ltd
Subject
gender; millennial generation; psychological contract; Psychological ownership; unethical pro-organizational behavior
Coverage
Kumar U.P.S., CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Delhi, India; Jaiswal C., Central University of South Bihar, Bihar, Gaya, India; Kumar N., University of Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, Prayagraj, India
Rights
Restricted Access; Hardcopy may be available in the library
Relation
ISSN: 22785337;
Format
online
Language
English
Type
Article

Citation

Kumar, Unnikannan P Santhosh; Jaiswal, Chetna; Kumar, Narsingh, “Gender Matters: Psychological Drivers of Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior in India,” CHRIST (Deemed To Be University) Institutional Repository, accessed June 18, 2026, https://archives.christuniversity.in/items/show/23184.

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