The instrumental role of employee voice in achieving promotability: social influence perspective

Purpose Drawing upon social influence theory, this study examines employee voice as one potential form of social influence that enables employees to receive positive performance evaluations from their supervisors, further increasing their chances of being promoted to a higher positional level. Importantly, organizational politics as experienced by employees is an important boundary condition that may affect the success of voice in achieving promotability. Design/methodology/approach This study obtained data from 218 independent matched subordinate-supervisor dyads from a manufacturing company in Japan. This study utilized the PROCESS macro developed by Hayes (2013) to test moderated mediation hypotheses. Findings Employee voice positively predicts employee promotability through supervisors' evaluations of employee task performance, and organizational politics operates as a boundary condition at both the first and second stages of moderation. Practical implications By speaking up at work, employees may instill an impression as a highly performing and competent individual in the eyes of their supervisors, thereby increasing their chances of being promoted within their organization. However, it is important to carefully consider the degree of workplace politics before expressing one's voice. For organizations, it is important to ensure that the policies and procedures used to demine promotion decisions are objective. Originality/value This study departs from the traditional perspective that voice is primarily used for prosocial reasons by suggesting that voice can also be used for the purpose of promoting personal career objectives.