<p>Prior research underscores leaders’ critical role in fostering ethical employee conduct, yet the effects of amoral management—characterized by a leader’s persistent disregard for ethical concerns—remain largely underexplored. This study examines how and when amoral management drives employee cheating behavior. Drawing on social information processing theory, we propose that amoral management heightens employee perceptions of leader moral decoupling, which in turn increases cheating behavior. We further hypothesize that moral identity moderates this relationship, whereby employees with stronger moral identity exhibit weaker links between their perceptions of leader moral decoupling and cheating behavior, as well as reduced indirect effects of amoral management on cheating behavior through these perceptions. We tested these hypotheses using two scenario-based experiments and a field study with diverse samples. The results consistently support our predictions, revealing that amoral management fosters cheating behavior through employee perceptions of leader moral decoupling, with moral identity mitigating this effect. These findings enhance our knowledge of amoral management regarding its consequences and provide valuable insights for reducing cheating behavior within organizations.</p>