Linking high-involvement work systems to employee voice behavior: The mediating role of ambidextrous learning and the moderating role of digital leadership

In the context of digital transformation, employee voice behavior has become increasingly important for organizational adaptation and improvement. However, prior studies on high-involvement work systems (HIWS) have not fully explained how HIWS lead to employee voice through learning, nor whether digital leadership strengthens or weakens this relationship. Drawing on self-determination theory, this study examines how HIWS influence employee voice behavior through ambidextrous learning (exploratory and exploitative learning) and tests digital leadership as a boundary condition. Using survey data from 238 employees and applying hierarchical regression, bootstrapping, and structural equation modeling, the results show that HIWS are positively associated with employee voice behavior, and this relationship is partially mediated by both exploratory and exploitative learning. In addition, digital leadership weakens the positive relationship between HIWS and ambidextrous learning, thereby indirectly reducing its association with employee voice behavior. These findings show that ambidextrous learning plays a key motivational role and that technology-enabled leadership can improve efficiency while limiting discretionary learning and employee voice behavior.