Grounded in social cognitive theory and social exchange theory, this study investigates how and under what conditions responsible leadership promotes employee voice behavior. Drawing on data from two waves of surveys involving 677 employees in China’s technology industry, we tested a moderated mediation model using structural equation modeling. Our findings reveal that (a) responsible leadership is positively associated with voice behavior; (b) the four dimensions of psychological empowerment, meaning, competence, self-determination, and impact, partially mediate this relationship; (c) supervisor-subordinate guanxi moderates the effect of responsible leadership on psychological empowerment; and (d) guanxi strengthens the indirect effect of responsible leadership on voice behavior primarily through the meaning dimension of psychological empowerment. These findings highlight the crucial role of psychological empowerment and relational context in promoting proactive employee behaviors that align with responsible leadership. Practical implications for leadership development and organizational practices are also discussed.

This study examines whether leader humor can mitigate employee job burnout and investigates the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions of this relationship. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory and Cognitive Appraisal Theory (CAT), we propose a moderated mediation model. Psychological capital mediates the link between leader humor and job burnout, while positive reciprocity belief moderates the direct effect of leader humor on burnout. Data were collected from 239 employees of small and medium-sized enterprises in Mainland China using a two-wave survey design. Our findings reveal that leader humor is negatively associated with job burnout and positively associated with psychological capital, which in turn reduces burnout. Moreover, the negative relationship between leader humor and job burnout is amplified when employees hold stronger beliefs in positive reciprocity. However, the moderated mediation effect was not statistically supported. Theoretical contributions and practical implications for leadership development and employee well-being are discussed.