Amplifying Employee Engagement: The Interplay of Organisational Voice, Employee Voice, and Transformational Leadership

Abstract

Despite growing attention on employee engagement in organisational research, the specific mechanisms that drive engagement, especially within voice-enabled and leadership-rich environments, remain underexplored. This study addresses this gap by examining the influence of organisational voice, employee voice, and transformational leadership on employee engagement, along with the moderating effect of transformational leadership on the relationship between organisational voice and engagement. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire consisting of previously validated scales. The target population for this study comprised employees working in the apparel industry in Sri Lanka. The rationale for selecting this sector stems from its labor-intensive nature and the critical role of leadership and communication practices in enhancing employee engagement and performance. A purposive sampling technique was employed to identify respondents who had direct exposure to leadership practices and were involved in routine communication processes within their organisations. A total of 300 questionnaires were distributed across selected apparel companies. Of these, 267 completed responses were returned, yielding a response rate of 89%, which is considered highly acceptable in organisational research. After careful data screening and validation, all usable responses were retained for statistical analysis. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the findings reveal that employee voice is a strong predictor of engagement (β = 0.319, p < 0.001, R² = 0.829), with transformational leadership demonstrating an even stronger impact (β = 0.677, p < 0.001). While organisational voice shows a weaker direct effect on engagement (β = 0.105, p = 0.090), it significantly influences employee voice (β = 0.548, p < 0.001), which in turn boosts engagement. Notably, transformational leadership positively moderates the relationship between organisational voice and engagement (β = 0.079, p = 0.026), indicating that leadership can amplify the impact of organisational voice. Reliability and validity criteria are met, with strong AVE, CR, and discriminant validity. The model also exhibits substantial predictive relevance (Q² = 0.735 for engagement). These results suggest that fostering a culture of voice and transformational leadership can significantly enhance employee engagement. The findings provide theoretical insights and practical implications for managers aiming to strengthen workplace motivation and performance through voice empowerment and leadership development.