Abstract: Despite previous research have examined many factors that influence voice behavior, little is known about the role of emotions play in this process. This paper analyzes two aspects of the relationship between emotions and voice behavior, one is the micro level that emotions affect voice behavior through cognitive information-processing, another is the macro level that is in organizational context. Drawing on the idea of the affective events theory, the emotion cycles theory, emotion feedback theory and related research, this paper analyses and explains several process about emotion: sources of employee emotion, the impact of employee emotion on their voice behavior, the impact of employee emotion on voice objects emotion, employee’s opinions have been adopted or not, and so on. Then we establish the emotion mechanism of employee voice behavior, systematically revealing the emotion mechanism on the whole voice behavior chain, and also give some examples how emotions such as fear, hope, psychological safety and regret affect employee voice behavior. Finally, we conclude by discussing limitations, future directions, and implications for research.

Key words: voice behavior, emotions, cognitive processing, affective events theory, emotion feedback theory, emotion cycles theory