Leader prohibitive voice behavior and its effects on followers through leader identification and political skill

Prohibitive voice behavior plays a crucial role in organizational effectiveness by signaling previously undetected issues. However, individuals paradoxically perceive this behavior as difficult due to its emphasis on identifying harmful factors, which may lead to misinterpretation and other undesirable social consequences. Based on social learning theory, this study aims to identify how the leader’s prohibitive voice behavior affects the follower’s prohibitive voice behavior. We employed a quantitative research design, collecting and analyzing questionnaires from 317 leader-follower dyads in 59 Chinese companies. To test our hypotheses, we used mediation and moderation analyses, hierarchical regression analysis, and the PROCESS macro. The results partially supported the research hypothesis, indicating that leader prohibitive voice behavior positively influenced follower prohibitive voice behavior. Additionally, leader identification mediated this relationship, whereas follower political skill moderated the mediated relationship. Notably, the mediation’s direction contradicted our hypothesis; the mediated effect through leader identification was pronounced when follower political skill was at lower levels. This study proposes that the leader’s role as a role model is crucial in motivating followers’ prohibitive voice behavior. It highlights the significance of considering followers’ political skills when they emulate their leader’s behavior. From both theoretical and practical perspectives, we discussed these findings and highlighted their implications for organizational behavior and leadership development.