arbiter
JournalsAccount

Paving the path to employee voice: Leader voice endorsement transparency and its impact on voice behavior

Xiaode Ji et al.

Applied Psychology: An International Review2026https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.70071article
AJG 3ABDC A
Weight
0.50

Abstract

Despite extensive research on leaders' endorsement of employee voice, the transparency of their communication of endorsement criteria remains underexplored. This omission is consequential: when employees perceive endorsement processes as opaque, they struggle to discern what constitutes valuable voice and consequently hesitate to speak up. Drawing on the social information processing theory, this study investigates how leader voice endorsement transparency (VET)—defined as the extent to which leaders openly communicate criteria for endorsing employee suggestions—serves as a critical social cue that enhances employee voice behavior. We propose that leader VET increases employee voice. This effect is particularly pronounced for employees with low workplace status perception, who rely more on explicit leader guidance when deciding whether to speak up, and it is mediated by heightened voice efficacy. Across two methodologically complementary studies (an experiment and a field study), we found support for the above relationship. These findings offer actionable strategies for fostering effective voice cultures.

Open via your library →

Cite this paper

https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.70071

Or copy a formatted citation

@article{xiaode2026,
  title        = {{Paving the path to employee voice: Leader voice endorsement transparency and its impact on voice behavior}},
  author       = {Xiaode Ji et al.},
  journal      = {Applied Psychology: An International Review},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.70071},
}

Paste directly into BibTeX, Zotero, or your reference manager.

Flag this paper

Paving the path to employee voice: Leader voice endorsement transparency and its impact on voice behavior

Flags are reviewed by the Arbiter methodology team within 5 business days.

Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.