The influence of inclusive leadership on corporate governance and the mediating role of employee voice thereon

Abstract

The need for good corporate governance has been emphasised by the increasing corporate scandals and corporate failures, compounded with the detrimental effects of governance failures on the micro and macro level. In effecting good corporate governance, the role and responsibility of the leader has become increasingly significant. Despite the abundant literature on the effects of different leadership styles on organisational outcomes, there exists a gap on the impact of inclusive leadership, a leadership construct characterised by openness, accessibility and fairness, on corporate governance. This research aimed to solve the conundrum emanating from corporate governance failures by demonstrating the relationship between inclusive leadership and corporate governance, thereafter demonstrating the mediating role of employee voice was used to explain the relationship. A quantitative online survey was used to collect data from the target population which comprised of leaders/managers working for companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and purposely selected using non-probability sampling techniques. A total of 216 participants completed the survey, after which, multiple linear regression analyses techniques were used to demonstrate the relationship between the constructs and explain the mediating role of employee voice. The results showed evidence of a positive significant relationships between the constructs, further confirming that employee voice was a complementary partial mediator. The research contributes theoretically by adding to the body of knowledge on the positive relationship between the studied constructs. Furthermore, the research will assist business in the effective and ethical role of the leadership in effecting good corporate governance.