Mechanism Of Relationships Between Challenge-Hindrance Stressors And Voice Behavior

The moderalization of technology and complexity of market puts more threats to the development of enterprises.Voice is beneficial for keeping edge and building core competitiveness of modern organizations.Hence,many managers and psychologists have paid attention to the impacting factors and mechanism of voice behavior.Job stressors have been regarded as one of the most critical inhibitors of voice behavior,since job stressors are widespread and unavoidable under the rapid pace of life.More importantly,job stressors are negatively related to employees’emotion,cognition and behavior.However,limited research has directly focused on the relationship between job stressors and voice because there are some competing theoretical perspectives predicting this relationship.Based on Conservation of Resource Theory,we adopted the Challenge-Hindrance Stressors Framework and Prohibitive-Promotive voice Framework to uncover curvilinearity in the stressors-voice relationship.Specially,we proposed a moderated mediation model in which the relationships between hindrance stressors and prohibitive,promotive voice are U-shaped;and challenge stressors are positively and linearly related to prohibitive,promotive voice.And challenge stressors moderate the relationship between hindrance stressors and prohibitive,promotive voice;and negative affect would mediate the relationships mentioned above.In order to examine the hypothesized model,this research consists of three studies.First study comprehensively revised the Challenge-Hindrance Stressors Scale.We assessed reliability and validity of the scale,especially measurement equivalence of scale across gender,with a sample of 216 employees.Results showed that,all items discrimination of the scale met the criterion of 0.56.Internal consistency reliabilities of the subscale were all higher than 0.80.Explorary factors analysis revealed a two-dimensional structural model.Confirmatory factor analysis proved the two-factors model fitted better(χ~2(df)=103.39(43),CFI=0.93,TLI=0.91,SRMR=0.06).In addition,the scale held full configural invariance,full weak invariance and strong invariance across gender groups.The second study used three-phases survey questionnaires to examine the hypothesized model with a sample of 361 employees.Results showed that,a).the relationships between hindrance stressors and prohibitive(β=0.09,p<0.01),promotive voice(β=0.08,p<0.01)were U-shaped.b).Challenge stressors were positively related to prohibitive(β=0.16,p<0.01),promotive voice(β=0.15,p<0.05).c).Challenge stressors moderated the relationship between hindrance stressors and prohibitive voice,promotive voice;under the condition of high challenge stressors,the relationship between hindrance stressors and prohibitive voice(β=-0.19,95%CI[-0.29,-0.10]),promotive voice(β=-0.14,95%CI[-0.27,-0.01])were linearly negative;under the condition of low challenge stressors,the relationship between hindrance stressors and prohibitive voice(β=0.17,95%CI[0.08,0.26]),promotive voice(β=0.15,95%CI[0.06,0.23])were U-shaped.d)Challenge stressors moderated the inverted U-shaped relationship between hindrance stressors and negative affect;under the condition of high challenge stressors,the relationship between hindrance stressors and negative affect was linearly positive(β=0.54,95%CI[0.37,0.71]);under the condition of low challenge stressors,the relationship between hindrance stressors and negative affect was inverted U-shaped(β=-0.14,95%CI[-0.26,-0.03]).e).Ngative affect mediated the relationships between hindrance stressors and prohibitive,promotive voice f).Challenge stressors partially moderated the mediation of negative affect in the relationships between hindrance stressors and prohibitive,promotive voice.To verify the model again,the third study conducted a scenario experiment which used a 2*3 between-subject design with 131 student subjects.The results showed that,a).The relationships between hindrance stressors and prohibitive(β=0.19,p<0.05),promotive voice(β=0.31,p<0.01)were U-shaped.b).Challenge stressors moderated the inverted U-shaped relationships between hindrance stressors and prohibitive voice,promotive voice,under the condition of high challenge stressors,the relationship between hindrance stressors and prohibitive voice(β=-0.63,95%CI[-0.80,-0.44]),promotive voice(β=-0.48,95%CI[-0.68,-0.28])were linearly negative,under the condition of low challenge stressors,the relationship between hindrance stressors and prohibitive voice(β=0.52,95%CI[0.29,0.73]),promotive voice(β=0.68,95%CI[0.40,0.96])were U-shaped.c).Challenge stressors moderated the relationship between hindrance stressors and negative affect,under the condition of high challenge stressors,the relationship between hindrance stressors and negative affect was linearly positive(β=0.67,95%CI[0.49,0.85]);under the condition of low challenge stressors,the relationship between hindrance stressors and negative affect was inverted U-shaped(β=-0.50,95%CI[-0.74,-0.27]).d).Negative affect mediated the relationship between hindrance stressors and prohibitive,promotive voice.e).Challenge stressors partially moderated the mediation of negative affect in the relationship between hindrance stressors and prohibitive,promotive voice.This research partially explained the competing perspectives on relationship between challenge-hindrance framework and voice behavior;by proposing a curvilinear relationship.And this research also extended the affective machnism of curvilinear relationship between stressors and voice behavior.Aslo this research proved that the moderation effect of challenge stressors on hindrance stressors-voice relationship.On the other hand,managers can relieve employees’negative affect and promote voice by reducing hindrance stressors and setting challenging task.But leaders should recognize voice related to the excessive job stressors’level.The regular monitoring of employees’affect state is essential,as well as psychological counseling and consultation.Organizations should provide training courses to enhance employees’ability to cope with hindrance stressors for the purpose of promoting career development and enhancing managerial efficiency.