Higher-quality leader-member exchange (LMX), higher-level voice? The impact of LMX differentiation and LMX mean on promotive and prohibitive team voice

Existing research has established leadership antecedents of team voice behavior. However, the content of team voice has not been distinguished, and limited findings have been generated about the effect of relational leadership, leader-member exchange (LMX), on team voice. Drawing on conservation of resource theory, this research explores the unique and interactive effects of LMX mean and LMX differentiation on promotive and prohibitive team voice. Two multisource studies (Study 1: 293 members and 51 leaders; Study 2: 524 members and 90 leaders) have been conducted to examine the hypotheses. Both studies have revealed that LMX mean is positively related to promotive team voice, and LMX differentiation is negatively related to prohibitive team voice. In addition, LMX differentiation weakens the effect of LMX mean on prohibitive team voice. Study 2 has further verified that LMX differentiation strengthens the effect of LMX mean on promotive team voice. Findings have demonstrated the significant and complex influence of team LMX on team voice. We suggest that team leaders can improve LMX mean and reduce LMX differentiation to encourage team voice behavior.