Paradoxical leadership as a moderating factor in the relationship between organizational silence and employee voice: an examination using SEM

Purpose Paradoxical leadership (PL) is a style that can bring stability and flexibility simultaneously, which helps organizations to manage the uncertain external environment. The purpose of this study is to identify if PL could moderate the relationship between organizational silence and employee voice. Design/methodology/approach Data for the study were collected from a sample of 617 gainfully employed factory employees using three standardized questionnaires. The data were analyzed using structural equation modelling (SEM) through Python programming. SEM was used to test the mediating, moderating, and serial-parallel relationship of the proposed model. Findings The research study found that organizational inertia led to silence among employees. It was also found that PL moderated the relationship between organizational silence and employee voice. Originality/value A fair review of the literature showed that studies that examine the effect of PL on organizational silence are scarce. The present study is a modest effort towards addressing this gap in the literature. The findings of the study are significant and have made a substantial contribution to management literature.