Journal of Management Research and Review (JMRR) · Research article · Open access
AI-Augmented Leadership and Employee Voice Behaviour: Exploring the Roles of Trust and Empowerment
Dr. Kingsley Ikwunga Amadi
13 August 2026 · Vol. 2, Issue 8, pp. 606-612
DOI: 10.65150/EP-jmrr/V2E8/2026-05
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What is this article about?
As organisations increasingly embed artificial intelligence (AI) into the routines of leadership, from predictive performance dashboards to AI-assisted feedback and coaching tools, a pressing but underexamined question is how this technological augmentation of leadership shapes employees' willingness to speak up. This paper develops and defends a conceptual model in which AI-augmented leadership predicts employee voice behaviour through two theoretically distinct but interlocking psychological mechanisms: trust in the combined leader-AI system, and psychological empowerment.
Article at a glance
- Published
- 13 August 2026
- Volume / issue / pages
- Vol. 2, Issue 8, pp. 606-612
- ISSN
- 3051-3588 (online) · 3051-357X (print)
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0 — free to read and reuse with attribution
- Peer review
- Double-blind, at least two independent reviewers
- Publisher
- EP Journals Group
Abstract
As organisations increasingly embed artificial intelligence (AI) into the routines of leadership, from predictive performance dashboards to AI-assisted feedback and coaching tools, a pressing but underexamined question is how this technological augmentation of leadership shapes employees' willingness to speak up. This paper develops and defends a conceptual model in which AI-augmented leadership predicts employee voice behaviour through two theoretically distinct but interlocking psychological mechanisms: trust in the combined leader-AI system, and psychological empowerment. Drawing on social exchange theory) the integrative model of organisational trust, Spreitzer's theory of psychological empowerment, and the growing empirical literature on trust in artificial intelligence, the paper argues that AI-augmented leadership is neither inherently emancipatory nor inherently silencing; its consequences for voice depend on whether it is experienced by employees as a resource that expands judgement and relational engagement or as a mechanism of algorithmic control that narrows it. The paper further situates trust and empowerment within the longer-standing voice literature on psychological safety and implicit theories of self-censorship, showing how these established constructs sharpen, rather than duplicate, the proposed model. Five research propositions are advanced, a boundary condition involving AI transparency is specified, and a research agenda for empirically testing the model is outlined. The paper contributes to the emerging literature on AI and leadership by reframing the central question from whether AI replaces leaders to how leaders' use of AI is interpreted by employees, and by clarifying the specific psychological pathways through which that interpretation either encourages or forecloses constructive dissent.
Keywords: AI-augmented leadership, employee voice behaviour, trust, psychological empowerment, psychological safety, algorithmic control, human-AI collaboration
Cite this article
Dr. Kingsley Ikwunga Amadi (2026). AI-Augmented Leadership and Employee Voice Behaviour: Exploring the Roles of Trust and Empowerment. Journal of Management Research and Review, 2(8), 606-612. https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-jmrr/V2E8/2026-05
@article{Dr2026,
title = {AI-Augmented Leadership and Employee Voice Behaviour: Exploring the Roles of Trust and Empowerment},
author = {Dr. Kingsley Ikwunga Amadi},
journal = {Journal of Management Research and Review},
year = {2026},
volume = {2},
number = {8},
pages = {606-612},
doi = {10.65150/EP-jmrr/V2E8/2026-05},
url = {https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-jmrr/V2E8/2026-05}
}Questions about this article
Who wrote this article?
Dr. Kingsley Ikwunga Amadi.
Where and when was it published?
In Journal of Management Research and Review, Volume 2, Issue 8, pages 606-612, published by EP Journals Group on 13 August 2026.
Is this article free to read?
Yes. It is open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) licence, so anyone can read, share and reuse it with attribution.
What is the DOI of this article?
10.65150/EP-jmrr/V2E8/2026-05 (https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-jmrr/V2E8/2026-05).
How do I cite this article?
APA: Dr. Kingsley Ikwunga Amadi (2026). AI-Augmented Leadership and Employee Voice Behaviour: Exploring the Roles of Trust and Empowerment. Journal of Management Research and Review, 2(8), 606-612. https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-jmrr/V2E8/2026-05
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