How leaders are persuaded: An elaboration likelihood model of voice endorsement

PLoS One. 2021 May 18;16(5):e0251850. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251850. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Organizations need both employee voice and managerial endorsement to ensure high-quality decision-making and achieve organizational effectiveness. However, a preponderance of voice research focuses on employee voice with little attention paid to voice endorsement. Building on the social persuasion theory of the elaboration likelihood model, we systematically examine the sender and receiver determinants of voice endorsement and how the interplay of those determinants affects voice endorsement. By empirically analyzing 168 paired samples, we find that issue-relevant information, i.e., voicer credibility, has a positive effect on voice endorsement and matters most when leaders have high felt obligation. The results also show that the peripheral cue used in the study, i.e., positive mood, has a positive effect on voice endorsement and matters most when leaders have low felt obligation or low cognitive flexibility. We discuss the contributions of these findings and highlight limitations and directions for future research.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • China
  • Cognition / physiology*
  • Decision Making
  • Emotions / physiology*
  • Employment / psychology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Leadership*
  • Likelihood Functions
  • Linear Models
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Organizational Culture
  • Persuasive Communication*
  • Regression Analysis
  • Schools
  • Voice / physiology

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Hangzhou Social Science Project for Developing High Calibre Youth Talent under Grant No. 2018RCZX22, Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. LQ18G020007, and Research Center of Digital Transformation and Social Responsibility Management, ZUCC.