Pipe up or clam up: the double-edged sword effect of perceived overqualification on employee voice behavior

Existing studies on the relationship between perceived overqualification (POQ) and voice behavior do not reach a consensus. Drawing on the job demands-resources model, this article explored the double-edged sword effect of POQ on voice behavior and its boundary condition. We test our hypotheses base...

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Main Authors: Shuting Xiang, Dan Xiang, Jiahao Luo, Nuo Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1632774/full
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author Shuting Xiang
Dan Xiang
Jiahao Luo
Nuo Chen
author_facet Shuting Xiang
Dan Xiang
Jiahao Luo
Nuo Chen
author_sort Shuting Xiang
collection DOAJ
description Existing studies on the relationship between perceived overqualification (POQ) and voice behavior do not reach a consensus. Drawing on the job demands-resources model, this article explored the double-edged sword effect of POQ on voice behavior and its boundary condition. We test our hypotheses based on data collected from 430 employees across a three-wave study. The results demonstrate that POQ is negatively associated with employees’ voice behavior through emotional exhaustion. Conversely, it is also positively associated with voice behavior via self-efficacy. Employees’ careerism orientation careerism orientation moderates the relationship between POQ and self-efficacy, such that the effect is stronger when employees have high levels of careerism orientation.
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institution Kabale University
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publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Psychology
spelling doaj-art-e27bb8b170624bfbafc8e488ef0c2f852025-08-20T04:03:21ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-08-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.16327741632774Pipe up or clam up: the double-edged sword effect of perceived overqualification on employee voice behaviorShuting XiangDan XiangJiahao LuoNuo ChenExisting studies on the relationship between perceived overqualification (POQ) and voice behavior do not reach a consensus. Drawing on the job demands-resources model, this article explored the double-edged sword effect of POQ on voice behavior and its boundary condition. We test our hypotheses based on data collected from 430 employees across a three-wave study. The results demonstrate that POQ is negatively associated with employees’ voice behavior through emotional exhaustion. Conversely, it is also positively associated with voice behavior via self-efficacy. Employees’ careerism orientation careerism orientation moderates the relationship between POQ and self-efficacy, such that the effect is stronger when employees have high levels of careerism orientation.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1632774/fullperceived overqualificationvoice behavioremotional exhaustionself-efficacyJD-R model
spellingShingle Shuting Xiang
Dan Xiang
Jiahao Luo
Nuo Chen
Pipe up or clam up: the double-edged sword effect of perceived overqualification on employee voice behavior
Frontiers in Psychology
perceived overqualification
voice behavior
emotional exhaustion
self-efficacy
JD-R model
title Pipe up or clam up: the double-edged sword effect of perceived overqualification on employee voice behavior
title_full Pipe up or clam up: the double-edged sword effect of perceived overqualification on employee voice behavior
title_fullStr Pipe up or clam up: the double-edged sword effect of perceived overqualification on employee voice behavior
title_full_unstemmed Pipe up or clam up: the double-edged sword effect of perceived overqualification on employee voice behavior
title_short Pipe up or clam up: the double-edged sword effect of perceived overqualification on employee voice behavior
title_sort pipe up or clam up the double edged sword effect of perceived overqualification on employee voice behavior
topic perceived overqualification
voice behavior
emotional exhaustion
self-efficacy
JD-R model
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1632774/full
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AT jiahaoluo pipeuporclamupthedoubleedgedswordeffectofperceivedoverqualificationonemployeevoicebehavior
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