The influence of mismatch between power and status on employee voice behavior

Abstract

The importance of research into voice behavior for organizational effectiveness has recently become even more evident. We explored the impact of the mismatch between power and status on employees’ voice behavior through the mediating mechanism of power struggle and the moderating mechanism of power distance. Hypotheses were derived from legitimacy theory. Participants were 647 Chinese employee−supervisor dyads. We found that the mismatch between employees’ sense of power and status positively predicted their voice behavior via power struggle, and the positive indirect relationship was amplified when power distance was at a higher level. Theoretical contributions and future research directions are discussed.