Inclusive leadership, psychological safety, and employee voice in remote and hybrid work employees

Remote and hybrid modes of work have become widespread since the Covid-19 pandemic and pose new challenges for organisations. This study examined the mediating role of psychological safety in the relationship between inclusive leadership and employee voice in a sample of remote and hybrid employees. While inclusive leadership involves openness, availability, and accessibility, we argue that it does not necessarily remove the risk involved for employees who want to raise well-intentioned concerns, and that psychological safety is necessary for this. A quantitative, cross-sectional, survey-based design was used with purposive sampling. White-collar employees ( N = 146) in South Africa completed online questionnaires during the Covid-19 pandemic. The statistical analyses identified significant relationships between all the variables as well as a mediating role for psychological safety in the relationship between inclusive leadership and employee voice. Recommendations are made for increasing well-intentioned employee voice in organisations.