Can leaders use humor to foster employee voice behavior? The mediating role of leader–member exchange

Leader humor is effective in enhancing superior–subordinate relationships in the workplace, and plays a crucial role in stimulating employee voice behavior. In this study we investigated the impact of leader humor on employee voice behavior, along with the mediating role of leader–member exchange. Through analysis of data obtained from 321 employees in China, the results showed that leader humor had a significant positive impact on both promotive and prohibitive employee voice behavior. Furthermore, leader–member exchange served as a mediator of the relationship between leader humor and both promotive and prohibitive employee voice behavior. These findings not only contribute to expanding empirical research on leader humor but also offer leaders a new perspective for effective promotion of employee voice behavior.