A psychological contract perspective on how and when employees' promotive voice enhances promotability

Abstract

AbstractWhile promotive voice is conventionally considered a favourable work behaviour to the organisation, whether engaging in promotive voice will help employees move up the career ladder is inconclusive across a handful of studies. Drawing on a psychological contract perspective, this study aims to understand why and when employees' promotive voice can contribute to supervisor‐rated employees' promotability. We propose that employees' engagement in promotive voice will strengthen supervisor‐sponsored balanced psychological contract with the employees and thus employees' promotability, and these effects will be stronger when the employees and supervisors have higher versus lower quality of leader‐member exchange (LMX) relationship. Results of a three‐wave field study with 281 employees and their 59 supervisors supported our hypotheses. We conclude by discussing the important implications of these findings for theory and practice.