Leadership's Ripple Effect: How Trust Shapes Psychological Safety and Employee Expression

Jiaxing  Du

doi:10.61187/ts.v2i2.109

Authors

Jiaxing Du
dux.aisin.gioro@gmail.com

Keywords:

Trust, Voice behavior, Psychological safety, Employee Communication

Abstract

This study, grounded in the extant literature on voice behavior, investigates the relationship between trust in leadership and employee voice behavior, with a particular focus on the mediating role of psychological safety. Utilising SPSS for statistical analysis, the research examines several key relationships within this framework. The findings of this investigation are multifaceted. Firstly, the study elucidates the impact of leadership trust on psychological safety within organizational contexts. Secondly, it explores the direct influence of leadership trust on the voice behavior of organizational members. Thirdly, the research sheds light on how psychological safety affects the propensity for voice behavior among employees.Moreover, this study contributes to understanding psychological safety as a mediating factor in the relationship between leadership trust and voice behavior. The results suggest a positive correlation: as the level of trust in leadership increases, there is a corresponding enhancement in the psychological safety experienced by organizational members. This heightened sense of psychological safety, in turn, encourages a greater frequency of voice behavior among employees.The research posits a chain of influence whereby leadership trust fosters an environment of psychological safety, subsequently facilitating increased instances of voice behavior within the organization. These findings significantly impact understanding how leadership practices influence employee communication and engagement within organizational settings.

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