Does LMX always promote employee voice? A dark side of migrant working in Saudi Arabia

Purpose Drawing on the self-consistency theory, this study aims to test a model where employees' supervisor-based self-esteem (SBSE) is positively related to their promotive and prohibitive voice and mediate the positive relationship between leader-member exchange social comparison (LMXSC) of an employee's promotive and prohibitive voice, but only for local rather than migrant workers. Design/methodology/approach To test the study hypotheses, multi-source data were collected from 341 matched supervisor-supervisee dyads working in a diverse range of organizations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Findings As predicted, employees' SBSE is positively related to their promotive and prohibitive voice and mediates a positive relationship between their LMXSC and their promotive and prohibitive voice, but only for local workers. The study findings support the self-consistency theory perspective on LMX and provide new insight into the "dark side" of migrant working - a lack of voice. Originality/value This study responds to calls for more research that explores the roles played by macro-environmental factors on employees' voice. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.