Voicing Is Not Icing! The Role of Career Empowerment in Fostering Voice Behavior Through Career Security: A Time-Lagged Three-Wave Study

Abstract

This study investigates how career empowerment predicts promotive and prohibitive voice behaviors and how career security intervenes in this relationship. The moderating role of bystanders’ direct and indirect intervention behavior is also tested between career security and voice behavior. Three-wave time-lagged data were collected from 267 non-managerial front-line banking employees to test the proposed model. The structural equation modeling (SEM) statistical technique was used for data analysis. The results showed that career empowerment significantly predicts promotive and prohibitive voice behaviors, both directly and indirectly. Furthermore, the direct intervention behavior of bystanders significantly moderates the relationship between career security and both types of voice behavior (promotive and prohibitive). Theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed.