Perceived leader integrity and ethical intentions of subordinates

This study examined the relationship between perceived leader integrity, belief in universal moral rules, and employees’ ethical intentions while controlling for socially desirable response tendencies. The results demonstrated that both higher perceived leader integrity and stronger beliefs in universal moral rules were associated with lower intentions to commit unethical acts. More importantly, the results revealed an interaction between perceived leader integrity and belief in universal moral rules. Individuals with a strong belief in universal moral rules exhibited low intentions of committing unethical acts, regardless of the perceived integrity of their leaders. For individuals who do not adhere to a belief in universal moral rules, intention to commit unethical acts decreased as the perceived integrity of the leaders increased.