The content of the message matters: The differential effects of promotive and prohibitive team voice on team productivity and safety performance gains.
Abstract
We propose that it is important to take the content of team voice into account when examining its impact on team processes and outcomes. Drawing on regulatory focus theory (Higgins, 1997), we argue that promotive team voice and prohibitive team voice help teams achieve distinct collective outcomes-that is, team productivity performance gains and team safety performance gains, respectively. Further, we identify mechanisms through which promotive and prohibitive team voices uniquely influence team outcomes as well as boundary conditions for such influences. In data collected from 88 production teams, we found that promotive team voice had a positive association with team productivity performance gains. By contrast, prohibitive team voice had a positive association with team safety performance gains. The relationship between promotive team voice and team productivity performance gains was mediated by team innovation, and the relationship between prohibitive team voice and team safety performance gains was mediated by team monitoring. In addition, the indirect effect of prohibitive team voice on team safety performance gains via team monitoring was stronger when prior team safety performance was lower. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Prior research has largely emphasized promotive voice while underexploring the unique antecedents and mechanisms that facilitate or hinder prohibitive voice.
“prior research has largely emphasized promotive voice—such as innovative suggestions or constructive ideas—while underexploring the unique antecedents and mechanisms that facilitate or hinder prohibitive voice3–8.”
From Leader prohibitive voice shapes employee voice through psychological safety moderated by self-efficacy and generational differences (2025) · cites this paper as [4]
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- Authors
- Li, A. N., Liao, H., Tangirala, S., & Firth, B. M.
- Affiliations
- University of Iowa (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Applied Psychology
- Published
- 2017-08
- Volume
- 102
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1259-1270
- ISSN
- 0021-9010 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1854
- OpenAlex
- W2600527138
- Cited by
- 188
- References
- 41
- Citations by year
- 2026: 15 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 27 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 16.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Applied Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Team Dynamics and Performance
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Radiological and Ultrasound Technology › Occupational Health and Safety Research
- Keywords
- promotive voice, prohibitive voice, regulatory focus, team productivity, safety performance, team innovation, team monitoring, production teams, safety climate
- MeSH terms
- Work Performance, Adult, Female, Group Processes, Humans, Male, Efficiency, Organizational, Safety Management
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