The Impacts of Distinct Motives on Promotive and Prohibitive Voice: The Differential Moderating Role of Perceived Voice Level

Drawing upon the citizenship motives framework and voice research, this study theorizes that both organizational concern (OC) and impression management (IM) motives are key predictors of employee promotive and prohibitive voice. This study further explores the moderating effect of perceived voice level in the work context on the relationships between motives and voice. The results of 140 pairings of supervisor-subordinate dyads indicate that both OC and IM motives are determinants of promotive and prohibitive voice. Moreover, perceived voice level in the work context plays distinct roles in moderating the main effects of motives on voice. Specifically, perceived voice level in the work context mitigates the influence of OC motives on promotive and prohibitive voice, whereas it strengthens the impact of IM motives on promotive and prohibitive voice. This study provides implications for both theory and practice. Limitations and future directions are also discussed.