Cultivating employee obligation for constructive change: the roles of supervisor consultation and managerial openness

Abstract

Purpose

Supervisor consultation is conducive to promoting employee voice. This research examines an underlying mediating mechanism and a boundary condition that strengthens the influence of supervisor consultation.

Design/methodology/approach

Two-wave survey data were collected from 302 full-time employees. Path analysis was adopted to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Supervisor consultation is positively related to employee voice. Employee felt obligation for constructive change (FOCC) serves as a mediating mechanism. Supervisor consultation is more positively related to employee FOCC and subsequent voice when managerial openness is higher than lower.

Originality/value

This study highlights the incremental mediating effect of FOCC beyond that of two alternative mediators between supervisor consultation and employee voice and the moderating role of managerial openness in affecting the influence of supervisor consultation.

Citation

Ning, X., Mao, J.-Y. and Wang, L. (2024), "Cultivating employee obligation for constructive change: the roles of supervisor consultation and managerial openness", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-05-2023-0261