IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/bushor/v67y2024i3p283-298.html

Harnessing the power of employee voice for individual and organizational effectiveness

Author

Listed:
  • Maynes, Timothy D.
  • Podsakoff, Philip M.
  • Podsakoff, Nathan P.
  • Yoo, Amber N.

Abstract

When employees speak up with improvement-oriented ideas or raise concerns about detrimental or harmful aspects of the work environment, organizations benefit and so do voicing employees. Despite the proven benefits, employees generally hesitate to speak up, and many managers are not receptive to employee voice. What can leaders do to overcome these challenges and harness the power of employee voice? We draw on research examining constructive forms of employee voice behavior to illustrate its value, explain how to maximize its effectiveness, and describe what voicing employees can do to ensure their voice is heard.

Suggested Citation

  • Maynes, Timothy D. & Podsakoff, Philip M. & Podsakoff, Nathan P. & Yoo, Amber N., 2024. "Harnessing the power of employee voice for individual and organizational effectiveness," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 67(3), pages 283-298.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:bushor:v:67:y:2024:i:3:p:283-298
    DOI: 10.1016/j.bushor.2024.02.005
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0007681324000193
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.bushor.2024.02.005?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Frances J. Milliken & Elizabeth W. Morrison & Patricia F. Hewlin, 2003. "An Exploratory Study of Employee Silence: Issues that Employees Don’t Communicate Upward and Why," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(6), pages 1453-1476, September.
    2. Ethan R. Burris & James R. Detert & Alexander C. Romney, 2013. "Speaking Up vs. Being Heard: The Disagreement Around and Outcomes of Employee Voice," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(1), pages 22-38, February.
    3. Amy C. Edmondson, 2003. "Speaking Up in the Operating Room: How Team Leaders Promote Learning in Interdisciplinary Action Teams," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(6), pages 1419-1452, September.
    4. Ghulam Ali Arain & Sehrish Bukhari & Imran Hameed & Delphine M Lacaze & Zahara Bukhari, 2018. "Am I treated better than my co-worker? A moderated mediation analysis of psychological contract fulfillment, organizational identification, and voice," Post-Print hal-01955306, HAL.
    5. Sebastian Schuh & Xin-an Zhang & Peng Tian, 2013. "For the Good or the Bad? Interactive Effects of Transformational Leadership with Moral and Authoritarian Leadership Behaviors," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 116(3), pages 629-640, September.
    6. Felipe Guzman & Alvaro Espejo, 2019. "Introducing changes at work: How voice behavior relates to management innovation," Post-Print hal-02108440, HAL.
    7. James R. Detert & Linda K. Treviño, 2010. "Speaking Up to Higher-Ups: How Supervisors and Skip-Level Leaders Influence Employee Voice," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(1), pages 249-270, February.
    8. He Peng & Feng Wei, 2020. "How and When Does Leader Behavioral Integrity Influence Employee Voice? The Roles of Team Independence Climate and Corporate Ethical Values," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 166(3), pages 505-521, October.
    9. Li, Chang-Jun & Li, Fuli & Chen, Tingting & Michael Crant, J., 2022. "Proactive personality and promotability: Mediating roles of promotive and prohibitive voice and moderating roles of organizational politics and leader-member exchange," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 253-267.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Peinan Ji & Yuchen Li & Lianchao Yu, 2025. "The Impact of IT Penetration on Employee Stability: Evidence from China," SAGE Open, , vol. 15(4), pages 21582440251, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Elad N. Sherf & Subrahmaniam Tangirala & Vijaya Venkataramani, 2019. "Why Managers Do Not Seek Voice from Employees: The Importance of Managers’ Personal Control and Long-Term Orientation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(3), pages 447-466, May.
    2. Şebnem Yazıcı & Mustafa Özgenel & Mehmet Hilmi Koç & Fatih Baydar, 2022. "The Mediator Role of Employee Voice in the Effect of Agile Leadership on Teachers’ Affective Occupational Commitment," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(3), pages 21582440221, August.
    3. Raj, Medha & Wiltermuth, Scott S., 2022. "Better now than later: The social cost of victims’ delayed accusations," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    4. Shin, Duckjung & Woodwark, Meredith J. & Konrad, Alison M. & Jung, Yongsuhk, 2022. "Innovation strategy, voice practices, employee voice participation, and organizational innovation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 392-402.
    5. Florian M. Artinger & Sabrina Artinger & Gerd Gigerenzer, 2019. "C. Y. A.: frequency and causes of defensive decisions in public administration," Business Research, Springer;German Academic Association for Business Research, vol. 12(1), pages 9-25, April.
    6. Markus Reitzig & Boris Maciejovsky, 2015. "Corporate hierarchy and vertical information flow inside the firm—a behavioral view," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(13), pages 1979-1999, December.
    7. Xue Tong Dong & Yang Woon Chung & Jeong Kwon Yun, 2023. "The Mediating Effects of Anxiety and Happiness and the Moderating Effect of Social Network Services for Employee Silence and Psychological Withdrawal Behavior," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, November.
    8. Wen Wu & Fangcheng Tang & Xiaoyu Dong & Chunlei Liu, 2015. "Different identifications cause different types of voice: A role identity approach to the relations between organizational socialization and voice," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 251-287, March.
    9. Karyn L Wang & William de Montemas & Shanta Dey & Anya Johnson & Helena Nguyen & Karen Tuqiri & Barb Crawford & Suzanne Murray, 2025. "Not just a ‘nice to have’: Team compassionate care behaviours and patient safety," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 50(3), pages 810-835, August.
    10. Anita Starzyk & Jana F. Bauer, 2025. "Three Dilemmas of Disabled Employee Voice," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 201(4), pages 941-967, November.
    11. Ying Xue & Xiyuan Li & Hao Liang & Yuan Li, 2020. "How Does Paradoxical Leadership Affect Employees’ Voice Behaviors in Workplace? A Leader-Member Exchange Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-24, February.
    12. Guo, Liang & Decoster, Stijn & Babalola, Mayowa T. & De Schutter, Leander & Garba, Omale A. & Riisla, Katrin, 2018. "Authoritarian leadership and employee creativity: The moderating role of psychological capital and the mediating role of fear and defensive silence," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 219-230.
    13. Jean-Sébastien Boudrias & Vincent Rousseau & Denis Lajoie, 2021. "How Lack of Integrity and Tyrannical Leadership of Managers Influence Employee Improvement-Oriented Behaviors," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 172(3), pages 487-502, September.
    14. Chin-Yi Shu & Nguyen Thi Nhu Quynh, 2015. "Guan-Xi, Loyalty, Contribution And ‘Speak-Up Behavior: The Role of Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) as Mediator and Political Skill as Moderator," Eurasian Journal of Business and Management, Eurasian Publications, vol. 3(2), pages 54-73.
    15. Yunyue Yang & Jie Li & Tomoki Sekiguchi, 0. "How supervisors respond to employee voice: an experimental study in China and Japan," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 0, pages 1-31.
    16. Muhammad Umer Azeem & Inam Ul Haq & Dirk Clercq & Cong Liu, 2024. "Why and When Do Employees Feel Guilty About Observing Supervisor Ostracism? The Critical Roles of Observers’ Silence Behavior and Leader–Member Exchange Quality," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 194(2), pages 317-334, October.
    17. Xiaoyan Su & Yating Liu & Nancy Hanson-Rasmussen, 2017. "Voice Behavior, Supervisor Attribution and Employee Performance Appraisal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-14, October.
    18. Ye, Qingyan & Wang, Duanxu & Guo, Weixiao, 2019. "Inclusive leadership and team innovation: The role of team voice and performance pressure," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 468-480.
    19. Sheldene Simola, 2018. "Fostering Collective Growth and Vitality Following Acts of Moral Courage: A General System, Relational Psychodynamic Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 148(1), pages 169-182, March.
    20. Ng, Kok-Yee & Van Dyne, Linn & Ang, Soon, 2019. "Speaking out and speaking up in multicultural settings: A two-study examination of cultural intelligence and voice behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 150-159.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:bushor:v:67:y:2024:i:3:p:283-298. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/bushor .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.