Influence of followers’ voice and silence on leaders’ ethical behaviour

<p dir="ltr">While leadership research has predominantly focused on leaders' qualities and behaviours, the role of followers has often been neglected. This study, which is based on followership theory, aims to examine the role of followers in leadership. Particularly, it focuses on implicit followership theories (IFTs)—the cognitive schemas or mental models that individuals use to make sense of follower behaviours and followers' roles within organisations—and aims to understand their influences on followers' voice and silence. Moreover, this study aims to examine whether perceptions of power distance play a moderating role between IFTs and employee voice and silence. Furthermore, the present study aims to examine the influence of employee voice and silence on leaders' ethical behaviours. This study significantly contributes to the evolving fields of followership, leadership, and organisational ethics. By adopting a follower-centric approach, the study highlights the critical role of followers' voice and silence in promoting ethical leadership.</p><p dir="ltr">This study employed a positivist paradigm and a descriptive research design to achieve its aims. Data was collected from 1,130 working adults from the public and private sectors in Pakistan and Australia. These two countries were chosen due to their contrasting socio-cultural contexts, particularly regarding power distance. The sampling strategy combined non-probability methods, snowball sampling in Pakistan, and quota sampling via an online panel in Australia. The study employed partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to test the hypothesised relationship among the studied variables, as it is highly suitable for studies with complex models that involve multiple latent variables and relationships between the constructs they examine.</p><p dir="ltr">The study found that positive prototypes (focusing on traits such as enthusiasm) were positively related to employee voice in both countries, with a particularly strong effect in Pakistan. Antiprototypes (focusing on traits such as incompetence), on the other hand, were associated with employee silence in Pakistan but not in Australia, highlighting that negative leadership prototypes played a more significant role in silencing employees in Pakistan than in Australia. The study also found support for the idea that employee voice was related to leaders' ethical behaviour, with slightly stronger effects in Australia. In contrast, employee silence was negatively related to ethical leadership. This relationship was stronger in Pakistan, suggesting that cultural factors might amplify the relationship between employee silence and leaders' ethical behaviour. However, the moderating effect of power distance was largely weak and insignificant in both countries.</p><p dir="ltr">This study makes five key theoretical contributions to the literature on leadership and followership. First, it expands understanding of followership by examining implicit followership theories and their impact on follower behaviours. The study provides evidence that followers’ perceptions about their role significantly affect employee behaviour in organisations. Employees who think that the role of followers is that of team players who are hardworking and go above and beyond are more likely to engage in voice. Second, the study is the first of its kind to explore how implicit followership theories can explain silence and asserts that this relationship differs across cultures. Third, the study demonstrates that followers are not passive entities in the leadership process, but active participants whose behaviour, such as voice and silence, can shape organisational outcomes. Fourth, this study's comparative analysis of Australia and Pakistan adds a cross-cultural dimension to the literature on followership and leadership. Lastly, this study challenges the traditional, leader-centric view of leadership, thereby advancing leadership theory to include the reciprocal and interactive nature of the leader-follower relationship.</p><p dir="ltr">From a managerial perspective, the study offers several important implications for organisations seeking to improve leadership effectiveness and foster a healthy organisational culture. The findings suggest that managers should redefine leadership and followership roles, recognising that employees are not merely passive followers, but active contributors to leadership success. This calls for a shift in organisational culture toward one that values and cultivates exemplary followership, promoting shared responsibility for organisational outcomes. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of managers fostering a culture of employee voice by establishing open communication channels and promoting participative leadership styles. By prioritising employee contributions and rewarding actionable suggestions, managers can cultivate an environment where employees feel safe and motivated to express ideas, concerns, and ethical issues. In contrast, employee silence, which can signal distrust or a fear of retaliation, should be actively addressed by creating a psychologically safe environment and ensuring that followers feel supported in voicing concerns without facing negative consequences.</p>