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Explaining Breadth and Depth of Employee Voice across Firms: A Voice Factor Demand Model

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  • Bruce Kaufman

Abstract

This paper develops a model which explains breadth and depth of firms’ demand for employee voice. The theory innovation is to model employee voice as a factor input in production and derive a voice demand curve. Differences in voice productivity determinants across firms act as shift factors and cause cross-section variation in voice demand curves which translates into an empirically observable voice frequency distribution. Insights from institutional economics are incorporated to show that transition from a nonunion to union form of voice may cause a large discontinuity in the demand curve. Other contributions include: sharpened definition and delineation of the employee voice construct, use of the voice frequency distribution as a dependent variable in empirical research, graphical representation of the firm’s benefit-cost choice of voice, distinction between employee voice as communication and influence (muscle) and graphical demonstration of conditions under which one is preferred to the other, clarification of the participation/representation gap concept, and policy insights regarding pros and cons of the regulation of employee voice in American labor law. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Bruce Kaufman, 2014. "Explaining Breadth and Depth of Employee Voice across Firms: A Voice Factor Demand Model," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 35(3), pages 296-319, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jlabre:v:35:y:2014:i:3:p:296-319
    DOI: 10.1007/s12122-014-9185-5
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    Cited by:

    1. Ariel C. Avgar, 2021. "Relational Exchange in Non-union Firms: A Configurational Framework for Workplace Dispute Resolution and Voice," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 74(3), pages 607-636, May.

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