The relationship between employee engagement practices, voice and mental health: exploring the mediating role of interpersonal justice and empathetic leadership

Purpose Little is established about the mechanism through which employee voice is connected to employee mental health. Drawing from social exchange theory, this study examines how employee engagement practices are associated with employee voice, which further influences employee mental health. In addition, the study includes parallel mediation and examines whether perceived interpersonal justice (PIJ) and empathetic leadership (EL) mediate the relationship between employee engagement practices and employee voice. Design/methodology/approach Three time-lagged surveys of 457 employees in the Indian information technology (IT) sector were accomplished. Findings As hypothesised, employee engagement practices have a positive influence on employee voice. Secondly, employee voice has a positive influence on the employee’s mental health. PIJ and EL were also found to be significant parallel mediators for the relationship among employee engagement practices and employee voice. Practical implications This study displays the positive influence of employee engagement practices on employee voice. Further, the employee’s voice influences the employee’s mental health. Therefore, it suggests means for improving its pervasiveness in an organisation. Originality/value This research paper is an important contribution as it is one of the few studies examining the role of PIJ and EL as parallel mediators of employee engagement practices and employee voice. It also answers repeated calls for more research on employee mental health in the IT sector.