Too futile to speak up? How leaders can increase employee perceived efficacy of voice

Abstract

Although efficacy judgment has been recognized as one key factor leading to employee voice behavior, we still know little about how to help enhance employee perceived efficacy of voice. Based on social cognitive theory, we argue that voice implementation resulted in previous voice episodes plays an important role in shaping employees’ consequent perceived efficacy of voice and thus affect their further engagement in voice behavior. We also theorize the moderating role of perceived implementation rule clarity (i.e., whether voicers perceive that leaders’ implementation decision rules are clear and explicit) in the path of past voice implementation—efficacy—further voice. We collected data from 32 health care teams in a hospital in China, by tracking nurses’ voice proposed in monthly team meetings and their efficacy following leaders’ voice implementation. We found that not all voice implementation produced efficacy benefits for the focal nurses. Voicers experienced efficacy increase and conducted more voice behavior only when they perceived leader’s implementation rule as explicit and clear.