Journal of Psychological Science ›› 2023, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (1): 137-144.

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Research on the relationship between voice behavior and political Behavior: Based on the mechanism of moral credential

  

  • Received:2021-10-11 Revised:2022-08-12 Online:2023-01-20 Published:2023-02-17
  • Contact: Bai-Nan ZHANG

建言行为与政治行为之间的关系:基于道德凭证机制的研究

张柏楠1,徐世勇2   

  1. 1. 中共青岛市委党校(青岛行政学院)
    2. 中国人民大学
  • 通讯作者: 张柏楠

Abstract: When employees’ voice behavior does not get positive recognition, but instead, rejection or ostracism by others, will these employees do something detrimental to organization to compensate for their effort? Recommendations of researchers proposed that voice behavior is extra-role behavior beyond the formal job responsibilities, employees will think that their voice can benefit others and organization, and therefore it is morally praiseworthy, this moral perception could make employee produce moral license, that induce employee to make some behaviors that violate work norms and even harm the organization and colleagues around them. Accordingly, what situations employees encounter in the process of bringing forward voice will induce these employees who originally do good deeds to become selfish and negative through the moral licensing mechanism? Can other employees’ negative reactions to employees with voice induce their licensing mechanism? To answer the above questions, this study sorts out and summarize several research limitations related to voice behavior, moral license theory and the follow-up effects of voice behavior. First, Research on the possible negative effects of voice behavior on employees' work attitude and behavioral choice is less conducted. Second, there is a lack of studies on the follow-up effects after employees encounter negative reaction from others due to their voice towards organization and work process. Third, the boundary conditions under which moral licensing theory works are still unclear. Fourth, the research on the inhibitory conditions of moral license effect is ignored. Based on the moral credential mechanism of moral licensing theory, this research tested whether voice behavior under the condition of workplace ostracism would be associated with political behavior through the mediating role of psychological entitlement, which could reflect the theoretical characteristic of moral credential. Besides, based upon moral consistency mechanism towards moral licensing effect, this research investigated whether employee's felt responsibilityfor constructive change(FRCC) as an inhibitory moderator could makes the mediating role of psychological entitlement between voice behavior and political behavior no longer exist. This study adopts the supervisor-employee matching method to collect data at three time points, scored 555 effective employees questionnaires with 117 supervisor questionnaire. Through the hierarchical regression and bootstrapping method to test the causal relationship between variables, statistical analysis results show that: (1) only voice behavior at high levels of workplace ostracism situation can be associated with psychological entitlement, and in turn, affects subsequent employees’ political behavior. (2) At the condition where FRCC is high, voice behavior no longer has association with psychological entitlement. However, under the condition of low level FRCC, psychological entitlement still play the mediating role between voice behavior and political behavior. The main theoretical contributions of this study are as follows: First, it deepens the understanding of the follow-up effects of voice behavior, especially the negative follow-up effects. Second, taking workplace ostracism as a specific scenario, this study shows that negative cognitive state does occur after employees encounter negative external reactions due to their voice. Third, it responds to scholars' call for further clarifying specific boundary condition for the occurrence of moral credential effect. Finally, this study first explored what boundary condition can inhibit moral credential effect of voice behavior and found that FRCC could play such role. The main practical implications of this study are as follows. First, organizational managers must face up to the complexity and uncertainty of moral attribute transformation of employees' working behavior. Second, organizational managers should also strive to create a positive working atmosphere that is encouraging and inclusive of voice behavior. Third, organization’s managers should also strive to cultivate employees’ internal motivation and sense of responsibility in the performance of the moral working tasks. At the same time, managers should minimize the external motivation or utilitarian purpose that may exist in the process of employees engaging in moral working behaviors.

Key words: voice behavior, workplace ostracism, psychological entitlement, felt responsibility for constructive change, political behavior

摘要: 基于道德许可理论的道德凭证机制以及道德一致性的理论线索,探究了在职场排斥调节作用下以及在感知的建设性变革责任的抑制性调节作用下,建言行为通过心理权利影响政治行为的过程。对555名员工及其上司进行问卷调查,结果显示,在职场排斥作为边界条件影响下的建言行为通过心理权利的中介作用正向影响政治行为,而感知的建设性变革责任作为抑制性边界条件负向调节心理权利的这种中介关系。研究结果从理论和实证上解释了职场排斥是激发建言行为通过心理权利产生道德凭证效应的边界条件,而感知的建设性变革责任作为边界条件能够抑制这种效应的发生。

关键词: 建言行为, 职场排斥, 心理权利, 感知的建设性变革责任, 政治行为