Linking leader–member exchange to employee voice behavior: The mediating role of self-efficacy

Abstract

Previous studies have found a positive relationship between leader–member exchange (LMX) and employee voice behavior. However, little is known about the psychological mechanisms underlying this association. We examined self-efficacy as a mediator of the linkage between LMX and employee voice behavior by conducting a cross-sectional survey with a sample of 295 leader–follower dyads from a Chinese company. We performed structural equation modeling to analyze the data. Results show that LMX was positively related to employee voice behavior, and self-efficacy partially mediated the link between LMX and employee voice behavior. This research offers insight into the mechanistic processes through which LMX affects employee voice behavior, and indicates that organizations should pay attention to establishing high-quality LMX relationships to facilitate employee selfefficacy as well as voice behavior.