Voice More and Be Happier: How Employee Voice Influences Psychological Well-Being in the Workplace

Abstract

The recently recognized core construct of employee voice has been demonstrated to be related to various outcomes. However, to date, the impact of employee voice over time and on important employee well-being has been rarely tested. In the present research, we studied in particular how employee voice behavior is related to psychological well-being. Employing the theory of self-determination, we developed three hypotheses pertinent to this relationship, including the mediating role of authentic self-expression and the moderating role of collectivist orientation. We tested our hypotheses using data from 217 employees in Mainland China over two time periods. As we hypothesized, we found positive relationships between the employee voice and psychological well-being. Our results also verified that these relationships are fully mediated by authentic self-expression and partially moderated by collectivist orientation.