The mediating role of psychological empowerment in the effect of inclusive leadership on voice behavior

This research aims to examine the effect of inclusive leadership on employee voice behavior and the mediating role of psychological empowerment in this relationship. In leadership literature, inclusive leadership is defined as a participatory and transparent approach in which leaders value diversity, listen to employees' views, and adopt accessible and supportive behaviors, while employee voice behavior refers to individuals' voluntary expressions of suggestions, concerns, and ideas that contribute to organizational improvement and innovation. Psychological empowerment, characterized by employees' sense of meaning, autonomy, competence, and impact in their work, emerges as a critical factor that can mediate the relationship between inclusive leadership and voice behavior. Adopting a quantitative research design, this research was conducted with a sample of 554 teachers working in various high schools in the province of Şanlıurfa, Türkiye. Data were collected through the Inclusive Leadership Scale, Employee Voice Behavior Scale, and Psychological Empowerment Scale, and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) to test direct and indirect relationships among the variables. The findings demonstrate that inclusive leadership significantly and positively influences employee voice behavior, while psychological empowerment partially mediates this relationship. The results indicate that inclusive leadership behaviors such as transparency, accessibility, and participation enhance teachers' willingness to engage in organizational processes and express their opinions, and that psychological empowerment reinforces this process by strengthening employees' perceptions of meaning, autonomy, competence, and impact in their professional roles. This research highlights that inclusive leadership practices contribute to the development of a democratic and participatory school culture, increase teachers' involvement in decision making processes, and support organizational effectiveness. In conclusion, the research provides theoretical contributions to the leadership literature and practical implications for educational management, demonstrating that the dynamics between inclusive leadership and psychological empowerment constitute a vital mechanism for promoting employee voice behavior.