Mianzi, which refers to the prestige or status that is held by an individual by force of his or her behavior, position, achievement, connections, etc., is considered as the core criterion influencing Chinese people’s behavior. In business research, however, research on employees’ Mianzi consciousness in organizations is a newly emerging field. This study examines why Chinese employees with high Mianzi consciousness in the organization may engage in unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB). Based on social exchange theory and self-affirmation theory, we propose that Chinese employees with high Mianzi consciousness may engage in UPB to manage their impressions in the workplace. We further propose that the important Chinese socioeconomic status factors - educational level and party affiliation - diminish the proposed indirect relationship. A field study with 524 China mainland employees provided support for our hypothesized model. The research advances our understanding of why, how and when Chinese employees with high Mianzi consciousness exhibit UPB. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.