Making Leaders’ and Followers’ Relationship Sustainable: The Impact of Leaders’ Behavioral Integrity on Employees’ Voice in the Banking Sector of Pakistan

The behavioural integrity of leaders is not only an individual trait that can earn them respect in their personal capacity, but it also may positively affect their followers and ultimately improve the organization’s effectiveness in a variety of ways. The relationship between behavioural integrity and employees using their voice has been studied by researchers through multiple aspects. This study brings a new perspective in this discussion by investigating the effect of leaders’ behavioural integrity on employees’ voice both directly and through the mediating roles of psychological safety and trust in the leader. The cross-sectional data of 384 employees collected from the banking sector in Pakistan is used to shed light on this new perspective in the relationship between the behavioural integrity of a leader and employees’ comportment in using their voice. The results of the empirical analyses support the direct effect of the behavioural integrity of leaders on employees’ voice. A significant mediating role of psychological safety and trust is also supported in the empirical analyses. The findings of the study bear important implications for leaders and business managers working in companies by providing insight on the importance of behavioural integrity of leaders in encouraging employees to have a voice in organizations.