AUTHOR=Xiang Shuting , Xiang Dan , Luo Jiahao , Chen Nuo 

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

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1632774

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1632774

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=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.