A Psychological Ownership Perspective on the HR System–LGBT Voice Relationship: The Role of Espousal and Enactment of Inclusion Matters

Abstract

Voice behaviours of invisible sexual minorities, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals and others whose sexual orientations and/or gender expressions fall outside of heterosexual/cisgender norms (LGBT), have received scant attention in prior research. Based on the psychological ownership (PO) perspective, this study investigates the relationship between the presence of an LGBT-supportive human resource (HR) system and LGBT employees’ voice. Moreover, grounded in the situational strength and leadership literature, this study examines the boundary conditions of the strength of an LGBT-supportive HR system and leader inclusiveness within this PO mechanism. Data collected from LGBT employees in three waves reveal that PO can mediate the influence of the presence of an LGBT-supportive HR system on LGBT voice. Additionally, the strength of an LGBT-supportive HR system moderates the relationship between its presence and LGBT employees’ PO in the first stage, while leader inclusiveness moderates the PO–voice relationship in the second stage. Overall, the mediating effect of PO is most significant when a strong HR system is aligned with high leader inclusiveness. Theoretical and managerial implications are also discussed.