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Authoritarian leadership and employee silence in China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 January 2017

Jinyun Duan ,
Chanzi Bao ,
Caiyun Huang  and
Chad Thomas Brinsfield
Jinyun Duan*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Soochow University, Dushuhu Higher Education District, Suzhou, China
Chanzi Bao
Affiliation:
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
Caiyun Huang
Affiliation:
Shanghai University of Finance and Economic, Shanghai, China
Chad Thomas Brinsfield
Affiliation:
University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN, USA
*
Corresponding author: mgjyduan@hotmail.com
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Abstract

We examine the relationship between authoritarian leadership and employee silence behaviour with 324 employees in 16 state-owned manufacturing enterprises in China. We draw from theories of motivation and person–environment fit to explain the mediating roles of psychological safety and organization-based self-esteem, and the moderating effects of power distance orientation. Regression analyses show that authoritarian leadership has a positive relationship with employee silence behaviour. Mediation analyses show that both psychological safety and organization-based self-esteem partially mediate the relationship between authoritarian leadership and employee silence. Moderation analysis revealed that the direct relationship between authoritarian leadership and employee silence behaviour is stronger for employees with high (as opposed to low) power distance orientation. Additionally, moderated-mediation analyses show that the mediating effects of both psychological safety and organization-based self-esteem are stronger for employees with low (as opposed to high) power distance orientation. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Keywords

employee silenceauthoritarian leadershippsychological safetyorganization-based self-esteempower distance orientation
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 24 , Issue 1 , January 2018 , pp. 62 - 80
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2017 

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