Does narcissistic leadership promote or inhibit employee voice? The roles of team chaxu climate and work-family balance

Purpose Drawing on conservation of resources theory, this study examines how and when employees' perceptions of narcissistic leadership influence their promotive and prohibitive voice. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 408 employees and 68 supervisors in China using a three-wave time-lagged survey. The hypotheses were tested through multilevel path analysis and the Monte Carlo method. Findings The results indicate that narcissistic leadership is positively related to promotive voice but negatively related to prohibitive voice. Moreover, team chaxu climate mediates the relationships between narcissistic leadership and both forms of employee voice. In addition, leaders' work-family balance weakens the positive association between narcissistic leadership and team chaxu climate. Originality/value This study advances understanding of how narcissistic leadership shapes employee voice by distinguishing its effects on promotive and prohibitive voice and by highlighting the mediating role of team chaxu climate. It further identifies leaders' work-family balance as a key boundary condition influencing their relational strategies with employees.