Lingering Emotions Trigger Voice: On the New Connotation of Employee Voice and Its Formation Mechanism Based on Self-regulation Theory—From the Perspective of Psychological Contract Breach

Abstract

Abstract: To date, voice is commonly defined as employees’ expressing of work-related ideas or suggestions because of caring about organization development. The present paper, from the perspective of self-regulation theory, holds that employees could express work-related ideas or advice because of caring about their own benefits and further argues that voice is employees’ positive and adaptative coping strategy motivated by negative emotions after employees receive unfair treatment. Through an experiment and a field survey, we find that psychological contract breach triggers employees’ negative emotions but positive voice behaviour. Negative emotions (dissatisfaction, disappointment and regret) work as the mediator in the relationship between psychological contract breach and voice. Moreover, employees’ voice efficacy moderates not only the effect of negative emotions on voice, but also the indirect effect of psychological contract breach on voice via negative emotions. This study broadens the connotation of voice, enriches studies on the impact of psychological contract breach and offers suggestions on improving employment relationship quality.

Key words: psychological contract breach, negative emotion, voice efficacy, employee voice, self-regulation theory

Cai Wenzhu, Yu Li. Lingering Emotions Trigger Voice: On the New Connotation of Employee Voice and Its Formation Mechanism Based on Self-regulation Theory—From the Perspective of Psychological Contract Breach[J]. Management Review, 2024, 36(4): 179-191.

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