Inclusive Leadership and Subordinates’ Pro-Social Rule Breaking in the Workplace: Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy and Moderating Role of Employee Relations Climate

PURPOSE: Drawing on the Social Information Processing (SIP) theory, the study sought to examine the link between inclusive leadership and employees’ pro-social rule-breaking (PSRB) behavior through the mediating effect of self-efficacy. The study also investigates the moderating role of employee relations climate between inclusive leadership and self-efficacy. METHODS: The study’s sample size consists of 438 full-time corporate employees at 47 organizations from China. Statistical analysis methods were used for data analysis, such as Pearson’s correlation analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and multilevel regression analysis. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that inclusive leadership positively affects PSRB behavior and self-efficacy. Furthermore, the employee relations climate moderate’s self-efficacy, which mediates the relationship between inclusive leadership and the PSRB behavior of employees. CONCLUSION: This study determines the psychological factors causing PRSB behavior in light of inclusive leadership. In the context of SIP theory, the findings conclude that inclusive leadership fundamentally influences self-efficacy, encouraging employees to exhibit PSRB behavior. Furthermore, this study also explains the mediating and moderating effect of self-efficacy and employment climate, which shape PSRB behavior. Hence, this study contributes to the organizational behavior literature regarding PSRB behavior and inclusive leadership.