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‘Good Workers’ and the Moulding of Employee Voice and Silence in Big 4 Firms

Author

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  • Brendan McCarthy
  • Michelle O'Sullivan
  • Elaine Doyle
  • Joan Ballantine

Abstract

This article examines voice and silence on workplace problems in Big 4 professional service firms. Based on interviews in Ireland, workers reported problems in relation to workload and hours, underperforming colleagues, mistreatment, pay, leave time, and promotion. Silence was the dominant response reflecting workers' implicit understanding of organisationally desired worker attributes. Where voice occurred, it was individual and informal. Our analysis places voice as a site of antagonistic worker‐management relations, and we contribute to the emerging labour process critique of employee resilience as a tool of management control.

Suggested Citation

  • Brendan McCarthy & Michelle O'Sullivan & Elaine Doyle & Joan Ballantine, 2025. "‘Good Workers’ and the Moulding of Employee Voice and Silence in Big 4 Firms," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(6), pages 451-460, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:indrel:v:56:y:2025:i:6:p:451-460
    DOI: 10.1111/irj.70006
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