Does leaders' adoption of employee voice influence employee work engagement?

Purpose The present study aims to determine the effect of adopting voice on subordinates' work engagement based on organization-based self-esteem (OBSE). Design/methodology/approach Three variables were rated according to the seven-point Likert-type response scales. To control the effect of common method variance, an online survey was conducted to collect data from 206 samples at Chinese firms by employing a two-wave and time-lagged approach. In addition, structure equation modeling analysis was adopted to verify the hypotheses with Mplus 7. Findings Leaders' adoption of employee voice shows a positive association with employee OBSE and work engagement. OBSE is positively associated with work engagement and mediates the effect of adopting voice on work engagement. Practical implications As suggested from the mentioned results, organizations are required to encourage leaders to adopt employees' reasonable voice that can be an effective management tool impacting employee work engagement. Originality/value Though existing studies have discussed the effects of leader behaviors on subordinates' work engagement, the effect of leaders' adoption of employee voice on employee work engagement has been rarely studied. Based on the job demand-resource model, this study fills the gap by empirically examining the effect of adopting voice on work engagement. As indicated by the findings here, leaders' adoption of employee voice enhances employee OBSE, thereby facilitating work engagement. The present study provides insights to stimulate employee work engagement.