The Curvilinear Effect Of Leader Power And Voice Rejection

In the present era,organizations are increasingly confronted with unprecedented challenges due to technological advancements and evolving external environments.Within this context,employees assume a critical role as astute observers and futurists for their organizations,given their direct exposure to markets,customers,and internal dynamics.As such,organizations should foster a culture that encourages employee voice,creating an open environment where employees can freely express their opinions and voice.This not only enhances employee job satisfaction but also bolsters the organization’s innovation capabilities and adaptability.However,it is noteworthy that many leaders often overlook or reject employee voice,perceiving their adoption as a potential threat to their authority,power,and status.Consequently,this research postulates that leader power serves as a significant determinant of voice rejection.While prior studies have examined the relationship between leader power and the endorsement or rejection of voice,a clear consensus on this issue remains elusive.Most studies posit a positive correlation between leader power and voice rejection,suggesting that leaders with a heightened sense of power are more inclined to reject rather than adopt voice.Nonetheless,some scholars argue that leaders with greater power tend to be more receptive to voice than dismissive.To integrate the disparate findings and shed light on the direction and underlying mechanisms of this relationship,this study draws upon the approach-inhibition theory of power and the "nothing to lose" effect,while introducing threat perception as a mediating variable to explore how leader power influences voice rejection.Moreover,to comprehensively understand the effects of leader power,this research simultaneously examines the content of voice and introduces voice rationality as a moderating variable to investigate the boundary conditions that shape the impact of leader power on voice rejection.To empirically validate the research model,this study employs a mixed-methods approach encompassing literature review,questionnaire surveys,and statistical analysis.Utilizing SPSS 27.0 and Mplus 8.0 data analysis software,the study conducts a questionnaire survey among 98 mid-level managers and their 428 team members from an MBA program at a university in Shandong Province,China.The collected data is subjected to rigorous statistical analysis.The study yields the following conclusions:(1)Within the context of employee voice,leader power exhibits an inverted U-shaped relationship with threat perception.High levels of leader power correspond to reduced threat perception,moderate levels of leader power correlate with increased threat perception,and low levels of leader power once again result in diminished threat perception.(2)Leader power indirectly influences voice rejection through leaders’ threat perception.(3)Voice rationality moderates this relationship.When voice rationality is low,the curvilinear relationship between leader power,threat perception,and voice rejection becomes more pronounced.Conversely,when voice rationality is high,this relationship becomes nonsignificant.This study holds significant theoretical significance and practical implications.From a theoretical perspective,this paper provides a new consensus by demonstrating the curvilinear relationship between leader power and voice rejection,rather than a linear one.Additionally,the study integrates two theoretical mechanisms:the approach-inhibition theory of power and the "nothing to lose" effect.It emphasizes that leaders with different levels of power perceive varying levels of threat,which is crucial for explaining their endorsement or rejection of voice.Moreover,this research further clarifies the boundary conditions that influence the relationship between leader power and voice rejection.Specifically,the curvilinear relationship becomes more pronounced when the rationality of employee voice is low.From a practical standpoint,organizations should establish clear managerial responsibilities and empower leaders with a heightened awareness of their power.By clearly defining responsibilities,leaders can better understand the scope and duties of their power,thereby enhancing their ability to manage the organization and make decisions effectively.For employees,it is important to pay attention to the rationality of their voice,as it plays a crucial role in leaders’ endorsement or rejection of those voice.If employees can provide more rational voice,leaders are likely to perceive less threat and be more receptive to their input.This paper discusses the contributions of these findings and emphasizes the limitations and future directions for further research from an academic perspective.