How do Kuwaiti teachers and headteachers practice their voice behavior? Influential factors in a centralized school structure

This study examined the effects of pro-social motivation, political skill, and voice behavior on leader-member exchange (LMX). First, we examined the relationships between prosocial motivation and voice behavior. Second, the study investigated the mediating role of voice behavior underpinning the relationship between prosocial motivation and LMX. In addition, political skill was tested as a moderator of prosocial motivation-voice behavior relationship. Data were collected from 269 full-time employees and their immediate supervisor in Taiwan from 68 different companies in different industries. We conducted a series of hierarchical regression and developed a moderated mediation model to test our hypotheses. Results indicated that prosocial motivation was positively related to voice behavior. In addition, voice behavior mediated the relationship between prosocial motivation and LMX. For the moderating effect, the higher political skill, the stronger the influence of prosocial motivation on voice behavior. Furthermore, political skill moderated the strength of the mediated relationship between prosocial motivation and LMX via voice behavior, such that the mediated relationship is stronger under high political skill. Some academic and managerial implications were discussed.

PurposeTop management commitment (TMC) and prosocial voice behaviour in Lean teams are vital for the successful Lean implementation. This study aims to investigate how TMC influences Lean team members’ prosocial voice behaviour and how such changed voice behaviour affects the outcome of Lean implementations.Design/methodology/approachThe authors have used a qualitative research methodology to examine six dimensions of TMC (communication, involvement, support, empowerment, encouragement and monitoring) in two ready-made garment (RMG) factories in Bangladesh. Operational performance was measured by efficiency, quality, value stream mapping, single-minute exchange dies and 5S scores. Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) was assessed by acceptable head and back positions, machine safety, use of masks and housekeeping.FindingsThe findings reveal that TMC influences Lean team members' voice behaviour positively and, thereby, company's performance. Six dimensions of TMC are all critical for mobilizing prosocial voice, which then improves productivity, OHS and enhancing employee capacity and job satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsThis research involved two sewing lines in two RMG factories in Bangladesh. Cross-sector and large-scale international quantitative research is also needed.Practical implicationsThis research shows how TMC and Lean problem-solving teams can mobilize employee voice.Originality/valueEmployee voice is a central issue in the implementation of Lean. To the best of the author’s knowledge, for the first time, the authors show how the six dimensions of TMC influence Lean team members’ voice behaviour in the workplace and thereby how prosocial voice affects team performance.

Aims: Voice behavior refers to nurses' proactive actions in offering constructive suggestions, providing feedback, or raising concerns in the workplace, which are crucial for enhancing care quality and improving the work environment. This study aims to investigate the current status and influencing factors of voice behavior among nurses in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in tertiary hospitals in Sichuan Province, providing empirical evidence for improved nursing management and hospital administration. Design: A multicenter, crosssectional survey. Methods: From January to June 2023, 422 neonatal nurses from tertiary hospitals in Sichuan Province were selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected through self-reported questionnaires, including a general information questionnaire and a voice behavior scale. The voice behavior scale consists of 10 items, divided into promotive and prohibitive behavior dimensions, using a five-point Likert scale (1 = "never" and 5 = "always"). The scale has been widely used among Chinese nurses and demonstrates good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.951). Data analysis was conducted using SPSS Version 26.0. Structural validity was assessed through exploratory factor analysis (KMO > 0.8, Bartlett's test p < 0.05), followed by confirmatory factor analysis using AMOS. For group comparisons, independent t-tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used, with Welch's test for unequal variances. Post hoc multiple comparisons were performed using Tamhane's T2 for unequal variances and LSD for equal variances. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Age, marital status, and number of children significantly influenced voice behavior. Voice behavior increased with age up to 50 years, unmarried individuals exhibited less voice behavior than married or divorced ones, and more children correlated with more voice behavior. Job title, position, and years of experience in the neonatal department also significantly impacted voice behavior. Higher positions and more than 15 years of experience were associated with increased voice behavior. Senior titles correlated with higher prohibitive voice behavior. Conclusion: The voice behavior of NICU nurses is influenced by various factors, including age, marital status, number of children, job title, position, and years of experience in the neonatal department. As age increases, the number of children grows, work experience accumulates, and nurses' voice behavior tends to intensify. In particular, for senior nurses, managers should pay attention to their prohibitive voice behavior and encourage their active involvement in decision-making processes to enhance the quality of care. Nursing managers should tailor management strategies based on these individual characteristics, providing customized support for nurses at different experience levels. At the same time, emphasis should be placed on creating a psychologically safe work environment to stimulate nurses' initiative and creativity, thereby improving team communication and collaboration. This approach will contribute to ensure the quality of care and patient safety in NICUs. Implications for the Profession: Understanding the factors influencing voice behavior helps nursing managers to enhance nurse participation and care quality. Nursing managers can implement the following strategies: (1) create a psychologically safe environment: encourage open communication by ensuring nurses feel their opinions are valued, with clear channels for feedback and action, (2) address senior nurses' prohibitive voice behavior: provide leadership training to senior nurses to transform negative feedback into constructive suggestions, promoting collaboration and work improvement, (3) tailor strategies based on experience: offer support and mentorship to new nurses, while encouraging experienced nurses to take leadership roles and contribute to decision-making, (4) incentivize contributions: develop reward systems to recognize nurses' involvement in improving patient care, such as acknowledging innovative ideas and active participation.

Nurses' voice behavior plays an irreplaceable role in optimizing nursing practices, improving healthcare quality, and fostering organizational innovation. However, existing research on the influencing factors and underlying mechanisms of nurses' voice behavior remains limited and requires further exploration. This study aims to examine the relationship between ethical leadership and nurses' voice behavior and further investigate the potential mediating roles of psychological contract and organizational commitment. From August to October 2024, a questionnaire survey was conducted, collecting valid data from 1357 nurses in China. The survey included the Ethical Leadership Scale, Psychological Contract Scale, Organizational Commitment Scale, and Voice Behavior Scale. Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS 25.0, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed using Amos 26.0 to examine the mediating roles of psychological contract and organizational commitment in the relationship between ethical leadership and nurses' voice behavior. Ethical leadership, psychological contract, organizational commitment, and voice behavior were significantly correlated (p < 0.001). Ethical leadership had a direct impact on voice behavior (effect = 0.360, 95% CI = [0.319, 0.399]). Psychological contract and organizational commitment played partial mediating roles in the relationship between ethical leadership and voice behavior (effect = 0.101, 95% CI = [0.086, 0.118], and effect = 0.010, 95% CI = [0.004, 0.016]). Additionally, a significant chain mediation effect of psychological contract and organizational commitment was found in the relationship between ethical leadership and voice behavior (effect = 0.024, 95% CI = [0.018, 0.031]), accounting for 4.848% of the total effect (0.024/0.495). Ethical leadership not only directly promotes nurses' voice behavior but also indirectly enhances this effect through the chain mediation of psychological contract and organizational commitment. Strengthening ethical leadership can optimize nurses' psychological contracts and enhance their organizational commitment, thereby effectively stimulating voice behavior. Hospital administrators should recognize the critical role of ethical leadership in nursing management and adopt multilevel strategies to foster a positive organizational climate, optimize nurses' psychological contracts, and strengthen their organizational commitment. These efforts will encourage nurses to actively voice their opinions, thereby enhancing team effectiveness and stability.

PurposeIn recent years, due to the increasingly prominent role of voice behavior in leader decision-making and organizational performance, such behavior has become a central topic for scholars. A majority of studies explore the “uphold” effects of multiple leader behavior toward the voice behavior; nonetheless, our study revealed the “undo” effect --- leader hypocrisy on voice behavior. Drawing on social cognitive theory, we investigated the relationship between leader hypocrisy and voice behavior, examined the mediating effects of cognition-based trust and affect-based trust, and the moderating effect of moral identity.Patients and MethodsWe conducted a three-wave survey in a large Chinese corporation to test the hypothesized model. We collected 562 employees to participate in this survey.ResultsThe results show that leader hypocrisy negatively impacts employees’ cognition-based and affect-based trust, and both types of trust mediate the relationship between leader hypocrisy and voice behavior, respectively. In the meantime, moral identity manifested the negative effect of leader hypocrisy on cognition-based and affect-based trust.ConclusionOur research not only enriches the related research on leader hypocrisy and voice behavior but also uncovers the underlying mechanism through which leader hypocrisy affects voice behavior and the boundary conditions of this effect. Meanwhile, our research provides a theoretical reference for increasing employees’ voice behavior and promoting the healthy development of enterprises.

IntroductionNurses’ voice behavior is critical for patient safety and organizational improvement. However, its manifestation is not uniform among nurses. This study aimed to identify latent profiles of nurses’ voice behavior using Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) to understand this heterogeneity and explore its influencing factors, with a specific focus on differences across work motivation dimensions (rooted in Self-Determination Theory, SDT).MethodsA multicenter cross-sectional design was adopted. Data from 701 clinical nurses across six hospitals in Guangxi Province were analyzed: LPA identified four distinct profiles, and Multinomial Logistic Regression was used to examine predictors. Work motivation was measured by the Multidimensional Work Motivation Scale (MWMS), and voice behavior by the Voice Behavior Scale (VBS).ResultsLPA identified four distinct profiles (Conservative, 5.42%; Balanced Risk-Taker, 26.39%; Transitional, 34.38%; Challenging, 33.8%), and Multinomial Logistic Regression was used to examine predictors. Work motivation was measured by the Multidimensional Work Motivation Scale (MWMS), and voice behavior by the Voice Behavior Scale (VBS). Results showed autonomous motivation (e.g., intrinsic drive) strongly predicted active voice behavior, while amotivation predicted conservative profiles. Nurses exhibited high work motivation (MWMS: 93.02 ± 21.09) and moderately high voice behavior (VBS: 39.27 ± 8.736).DiscussionThe research found that nurses exhibited high work motivation and moderately high voice behavior, with autonomous motivation being a pivotal predictor. Differentiated strategies targeting intrinsic motivation enhancement are critical for fostering nursing innovation and improving care quality.

Although numerous studies have adopted social exchange theory to investigate the mechanism through which leadership influences employee voice behavior, few studies have placed their focus on the mediation of employees’ basic psychological needs. To address this research gap, this study adopted self-determination theory to explore how supervisor support encourages subordinates to engage in voice behavior. Furthermore, the moderating effect of impression management motive was clarified. This study adopted structural equation modeling and hierarchical regression approach to analyze 268 sets of data of a pair of supervisor and subordinate. The results revealed that basic psychological needs mediated the relationship between supervisor support and self-determined prosocial motivation, which, in turn, was positively related to voice behavior. In addition, subordinates’ impression management motive weakens the positive relationship between self-determined prosocial motivation and voice behavior.

Objective To explore the influence of voice behavior of nurses on nursing practice environment so as to provide a reference for clinical nursing managers to improve nursing practice environment. Methods From January to May 2017, we selected 300 nurses from three ClassⅢ Grade B hospitals in Ningbo City as subjects by convenience sampling. The questionnaire survey was carried out with the Voice Behavior Scale (VBS) and the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI) to understand the status of nurses' voice behavior and nursing practice environment and to explore the correlation between them. A total of 300 questionnaires were sent out and 292 valid questionnaires were collected with 97.3% for the recovery rate. Results Among 292 nurses, the total score of PES-NWI was (76.67±13.34) . Nurses' voice behavior had a positive correlation with the nursing practice environment (r=0.328, P<0.01) . Hierarchical regression analysis showed the main influencing factors of nursing practice environment of nursing included promotive voice behavior and prohibitive voice behavior after controlling demographic variables. Conclusions The voice behavior of nurses remains to be improved and has preferences. Clinical managers should formulate targeted intervention according to the deficiencies of nurses' voice behavior to improve nursing practice environment. Key words: Nurses; Voice behavior; Nursing practice environment

Previous research has demonstrated inconsistent findings regarding supervisors' reactions to employees' voice behavior. To address this issue, the current research adopts a broader view of voice and differentiates specific voice foci. This approach complements the understanding of voice types that are theoretically ignored yet prevalent in practice (pro‐self voice and combined voice). Based on the social dimensions model, the current research investigates the underlying mechanism of perceived warmth, competence, and authenticity in the “subordinate voice—supervisor response” linkage. We conducted an interview‐based qualitative study (Study 1, N = 23), a vignette‐based experiment (Study 2A, N = 213), a recall‐based experiment (Study 2B, N = 214), and a time‐lagged field study (Study 3, N = 304). The results indicated that supervisors perceive more warmth and competence for subordinates engaging in prosocial voice and combined voice than pro‐self voice, and more authenticity for combined voice than prosocial voice and pro‐self voice, thus increasing voice endorsement and performance evaluation. The implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Based on the work of Van Dyne, Ang, and Botero (2003), the concept of voice, generally defined as speaking up, was expanded to include three types of voice behaviors: prosocial, acquiescent, and defensive. Prosocial voice is a fundamentally positive form of voice, whereas acquiescent and defensive voice behaviors reflect more negative forms of voice. We examined individual-level personality traits of Agreeableness and Extraversion and group-level participative climate as predictors of supervisor ratings of each voice behavior. Testing these ideas with a multilevel design in a sample of Chinese workers and their managers, results demonstrated support for links of Agreeableness, Extraversion, and participative climate with supervisor ratings of voice behaviors. Further, group-level participative climate moderated relationships between individual-level Agreeableness and voice behaviors.

Workplace voice is well-established and encompasses behaviors such as prosocial voice, informal complaints, grievance filing, and whistleblowing, and it focuses on interactions between the employee and supervisor or the employee and the organizational collective. In contrast, our chapter focuses on employee prosocial advocacy voice (PAV), which the authors define as prosocial voice behaviors aimed at preventing harm or promoting constructive changes by advocating on behalf of others. In the context of a healthcare organization, low quality and unsafe patient care are salient and objectionable states in which voice can motivate actions on behalf of the patient to improve information exchanges, governance, and outreach activities for safer outcomes. The authors draw from the theory and research on responsibility to intersect with theories on information processing, accountability, and stakeholders that operate through voice between the employee-patient, employee-coworker, and employee-profession, respectively, to propose a model of PAV in patient-centered healthcare. The authors complete the model by suggesting intervening influences and barriers to PAV that may affect patient-centered outcomes.

PurposeThe paper is built upon the conceptual framework of ability, motivation and opportunity (AMO) to identify the effect of the high performance work system (HPWS) on the voice behaviour of the organisation.Design/methodology/approachThe human resource department of the steel plants was approached to facilitate the data collection. A standardised questionnaire was used to collect responses from 169 full-time employees working at different levels and departments in the steel plant in India. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to validate and examine the model identifying the relationship of AMO enhancing practices with the voice behaviour in the organisation.FindingsAMO was found to affect voice behaviour in the organisation. The positive and significant effect of ability enhancement practices was examined on the acquiescent voice and the opportunity enhancing practices on the acquiescent and defensive voice in the organisation.Practical implicationsEven though the organisation has tried to improve the employee's ability through proper training and development efforts, the organisation still fails to develop confidence in the employee for giving the suggestion or opinions without hesitation. The research papers try to provide valuable suggestions to the human resource management (HRM) and other managers for improving the voice behaviour of the employees based on the current study that identifies the effect of AMO practices on the voice behaviour of the employees.Originality/valueFactors affecting voice behaviour are not yet extensively studied in the Indian context. The researcher examined the effect of HPWS, considering the AMO framework on the organisation's acquiescent voice, defensive voice, and prosocial voice behaviour.

The main aim of this paper was to examine how school leadership influences teacher motivation in Kuwait. This purpose has been fulfilled using both graphical and statistical analysis methods applied to primary quantitative data. The data was gathered from 108 Kuwaiti teachers from 15 Kuwaiti schools, including the author’s school. It can be concluded that school leadership has a strong positive effect on the degree to which Kuwaiti teachers are motivated in the workplace. The carried out analysis has demonstrated that monetary rewards and working conditions quality statistically predict the participants’ motivation level. Considering the limitation of this paper, it can be recommended that the future researchers in the field should examine the impact of motivation and hygiene factors such as employee autonomy, personal development opportunities, emotional support and non-monetary rewards on the motivation of Kuwaiti teachers. Furthermore, it is recommended that the future researchers in the field should contact a greater number of Kuwaiti teachers in order to add to internal validity and reliability. Finally, it is recommended that the future researchers should gather data from Kuwaiti school leaders to arrive at more comprehensive conclusions concerning the link between school leadership and teacher motivation in Kuwait.

Clinical nurses, being integral members of the medical system and actively engaged with patients and their families, possess significant influence in addressing various work-related issues and contribute significantly to the advancement of clinical services and the overall stability of hospitals within the nursing team. Consequently, it is imperative to prioritize the consideration of nurses' recommendations in order to identify the factors that can effectively enhance their enthusiasm in vocalizing their concerns. Data in this cross-sectional descriptive study were collected from March 2021 to August 2021 by the online survey method. A total of 679 Chinese nurses were surveyed with a Chinese Big Five Personality Inventory Brief Scale, an Authentic Leadership Scale, and a Voice Behaviour Scale. Because the data were normally distributed in our study, Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) was used to conduct the correlation analysis of the study variables. The structural equation model was used to examine the mediating role of conscientiousness. The results showed that the influencing factors of nurses' voice behavior were education background, employment mode, nursing seniority, and monthly income (p < 0.05). In addition, authentic leadership, conscientiousness, and voice behaviour were significantly positively correlated (the correlation coefficients are 0.632 and 0.630, respectively, p < 0.05). Conscientiousness plays a partial mediating role in authentic leadership. Authentic leadership was the key to improving the voice behaviour of nurses; as a mediating mechanism, conscientiousness further explained how authentic leadership promoted the voice behaviour of nurses. The effects of authentic leadership, conscientiousness, and voice behaviour could be used to guide the management of clinical nurses. In particular, the authentic leadership style perceived by nurses and the conscientiousness of nurses would contribute to the generation of voice behaviour.

Purpose This study investigates how safety training influences nurses’ prosocial voice and safety behaviors, specifically examining the mediating role of prosocial voice behavior in the relationship between safety training and three major safety behaviors (safety compliance, safety participation and risky behaviors). Design/methodology/approach A quantitative and a cross-sectional study used snowballing to collect the sample of medical and surgical nurses in Saudi Arabia through online survey. Accordingly, 391 nurses completed the self-reported online survey successfully. Adapting scales were analyzed by SPSS 25 and Hayes Process Macro to examine the research questions. Findings Safety training influences nurses’ prosocial behavior positively and, thereby, their safety behaviors. It was found that safety compliance and participation were influenced by safety training through prosocial behavior, but no mediation effect was found for risky behaviors. These results were supported by statistically significant indirect effects (safety compliance: 95% CI [0.05, 0.13], p < 0.001; safety participation: 95% CI [0.10, 0.22], p < 0.001). Originality/value This study contributes novel insights into the mechanisms through which safety training affects nurses’ safety behaviors, highlighting the critical role of prosocial voice. By integrating Social Exchange Theory and Self-Determination Theory, the study provides a theoretical basis for how organizational support through training can empower nurses to speak up and engage in safety-enhancing actions. Safety training provides nurses with the necessary competencies and thereby raises their voice regarding safety issues. This research adds to the body of literature by providing a deeper understanding of how safety training influences safety behaviors via prosocial voice. The findings provide valuable implications for developing safety training programs that promote the value of encouraging nurses to voice safety concerns, ultimately enhancing workplace safety. Practical and educational implications are outlined for healthcare leaders and educators.