Linking ethical leadership to employee's prohibitive voice: the role of reflective moral attentiveness and leader identification

PurposeThis paper considers the importance of prohibitive voice in organizations' health. This study aims to explore the role of ethical leadership, reflective moral attentiveness and leader identification.Design/methodology/approachTwo waves of data collection were conducted, including 534 responses in T1 and 242 in T2. This research evaluated hypotheses using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling approach with Smart PLS 3.2.9.FindingsEthical leadership has a direct positive effect on employees' prohibitive voice. Furthermore, reflective moral attentiveness mediates the associations between ethical leadership and prohibitive voice. Finally, leader identification moderates only the relationship between ethical leadership and employees' moral behavior (prohibitive voice), not moral cognition (reflective moral attentiveness).Originality/valueThis paper provided insight into how and when ethical leaders could promote prohibitive voice behavior. Specifically, the authors explored the mediating role of reflective moral attentiveness and the moderating role of leader identification.