Moderated Mediation between High Performance Work Systems (HPWS) and Employee Voice Behavior: The Role of Psychological Safety and Supportive Leadership

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine the mediating role of psychological safety in the relationship between high performance work systems (HPWS) and employee voice behavior. Moreover, this study examined the moderating effect of supportive leadership on the indirect effect of HPWS on voice behavior through psychological safety. Data were gathered in a survey of middle and lower level bank employees (N = 261). Data validity/reliability and estimations were performed by applying the principles of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that psychological safety mediates the link between HPWS and voice behavior, and supportive leadership enhances voice behavior by strengthening the effect of HPWS on psychological safety. This study contributes to organizational psychology literature by explaining how supportive leadership affects the indirect effect of HPWS on voice behavior through psychological safety. Study limitations are related to external validity and cross-sectional testing of data.

Keywords

• high performance work systems (hpws)
• employee voice behavior
• psychological safety
• supportive leadership
• moderated-mediation