Inclusive leadership in hospitality: empowering team voice and mitigating unethical behavior

Purpose Drawing upon social exchange theory, this study aims to unravel the role of inclusive leadership in fostering team prohibitive voice (TPV) and reducing unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) among hospitality employees. It also examines the mediating role of TPV in the relationship between inclusive leadership and UPB. Design/methodology/approach The data was collected from 346 hotel employees in the two survey waves. The research measurement model was tested with the AMOS software. Research hypotheses were tested using hierarchical regression analysis and the bootstrap method. Hayes Model 4 Process Macro was used for testing mediation. Findings The findings offered support for the hypothesized direct and mediating pathways through which inclusive leadership influences TPV and UPB. In addition, it was observed that inclusive leadership and TPV were antecedents of UPB. Originality/value This research, one of the few to investigate the association between inclusive leadership and TPV and UPB in the hospitality industry, significantly expands the inclusive leadership literature. It discusses the theoretical and practical implications, offering suggestions for future research and encouraging researchers to further investigate this field.