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This research examines how two contrasting leader signals—leader-enforced positive display rules (EPDR) and humility–aspiration signaling (HAS)—impact employees’ emotional exhaustion and unethical pro-self behavior. Drawing on social information processing theory, we propose a dual-pathway model in which EPDR leads to state suppression, whereas HAS fosters state meaning-making, which predicts emotional exhaustion and unethical pro-self behavior. Study 1 employed a time-lagged survey design with 489 full-time employees. Study 2 used a between-subjects vignette experiment with 276 full-time employees and experimentally manipulated EPDR versus HAS. The results showed that EPDR was positively related to state suppression, which predicted higher emotional exhaustion and unethical pro-self behavior. Conversely, HAS was positively related to state meaning-making, which predicted lower emotional exhaustion and unethical pro-self behavior. Dispositional optimism weakened the positive association between EPDR and state suppression, whereas hypercompetitive orientation weakened the positive association between HAS and state meaning-making. These findings demonstrate that EPDR can inadvertently deplete employees and encourage unethical pro-self behavior, whereas HAS can cultivate meaning-making and protect against these harmful outcomes, contingent on employees’ traits. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Ali et al. (Wed,) studied this question.