How does authentic leadership influence employee voice? From the perspective of the theory of planned behavior

Drawing on the theory of planned behavior, this study examines how and when authentic leadership influences employees speaking out (voice toward peers) and speaking up (voice toward the supervisor) by demonstrating psychological safety, psychological ownership, and voice efficacy as key mediating mechanisms, and Chinese traditionality as a crucial boundary condition. A structural equation model analysis of a sample of 316 employee-supervisor dyads from China revealed that voice efficacy uniquely mediated relationships between authentic leadership and speaking up and speaking out, and played the strongest mediating role among the three mediators. A total effect moderation model analysis found that traditionality moderated the direct effects of psychological safety on speaking out, psychological ownership on speaking out, voice efficacy on speaking out, and authentic leadership on voice efficacy. Traditionality moderated the indirect effects of authentic leadership on speaking up and speaking out through voice efficacy and on speaking out through psychological safety and psychological ownership as well, suggesting that these effects were stronger for employees who were high, rather than low, in traditionality. This study contributes to our understanding of how and when authentic leadership influences employee voice and which intermediate mechanism plays the strongest role, and highlights improving voice efficacy and inculcating Chinese traditional values to enhance the effect of authentic leadership and bring about more voice behaviors.