IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/ecoind/v43y2022i4p1767-1788.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Let’s take it outside: Seeking alternative targets for expressing dissent at work when voice is suppressed

Author

Listed:
  • Agnes Akkerman

    (Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies and Hugo Sinzheimer Institute (AIAS-HSI), University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Nijmegen School of Management, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands)

  • Roderick Sluiter

    (Nijmegen School of Management, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands)

  • Katerina Manevska

    (Nijmegen School of Management, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands)

Abstract

This study examines what workers do when their supervisor is not responsive to their voice. Based on mobilization theory and theories on organizational dissent, the authors hypothesize alternatives for workers expressing discontent when their initial complaints are ignored or punished by their supervisor under various co-worker support conditions. The hypotheses are tested using a large- N dataset while applying a vignette design. The findings show that workers are less likely to (repeat) voice within the organization and more likely to seek help outside the organization when a supervisor threatens to punish future voice endeavours. Co-workers’ supportive and participative responses to voice increase the likelihood that workers keep their voice within the organization and have mixed effects on the likelihood that workers seek support elsewhere.

Suggested Citation

  • Agnes Akkerman & Roderick Sluiter & Katerina Manevska, 2022. "Let’s take it outside: Seeking alternative targets for expressing dissent at work when voice is suppressed," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 43(4), pages 1767-1788, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecoind:v:43:y:2022:i:4:p:1767-1788
    DOI: 10.1177/0143831X211030330
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0143831X211030330
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0143831X211030330?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stephen Drinkwater & Peter Ingram, 2005. "Have Industrial Relations in the UK Really Improved?," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 19(2), pages 373-398, June.
    2. Xu Huang & Evert Van de Vliert & Gerben Van der Vegt, 2005. "Breaking the Silence Culture: Stimulation of Participation and Employee Opinion Withholding Cross-nationally," Management and Organization Review, International Association of Chinese Management Research, vol. 1(3), pages 459-482, November.
    3. Addison, John T. & Teixeira, Paulino, 2019. "Strikes, employee workplace representation, unionism, and industrial relations quality in European establishments," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 109-133.
    4. Kirsten Thommes & Agnes Akkerman & René Torenvlied & Marieke Born, 2014. "The dark side of solidarity: social norms and social relations in the aftermath of strikes," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(4), pages 348-367, July.
    5. David Marsden, 2013. "Individual Voice in Employment Relationships: A Comparison under Different Forms of Workplace Representation," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52, pages 221-258, January.
    6. John Godard, 2011. "What Has Happened to Strikes?," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 49(2), pages 282-305, June.
    7. Huang, Xu & de Vliert, Evert Van & der Vegt, Gerben Van, 2005. "Breaking the Silence Culture: Stimulation of Participation and Employee Opinion Withholding Cross-nationally," Management and Organization Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 1(3), pages 459-482, November.
    8. Thommes, Kirsten & Vyrastekova, Jana & Akkerman, Agnes, 2015. "Behavioral spillovers from freeriding in multilevel interactions," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 78-87.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Peixu He & Zhenglong Peng & Hongdan Zhao & Christophe Estay, 2019. "How and When Compulsory Citizenship Behavior Leads to Employee Silence: A Moderated Mediation Model Based on Moral Disengagement and Supervisor–Subordinate Guanxi Views," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 155(1), pages 259-274, March.
    2. Mustafa Emre Civelek & Mehmet Saim Asci & Murat Cemberci, 2015. "Identifying Silence Climate in Organizations in the Framework of Contemporary Management Approaches," International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 4(4), pages 36-44, October.
    3. Abdul Waheed & Xiaoming Miao & Salma Waheed & Naveed Ahmad & Abdul Majeed, 2019. "How New HRM Practices, Organizational Innovation, and Innovative Climate Affect the Innovation Performance in the IT Industry: A Moderated-Mediation Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-21, January.
    4. 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.
    5. Erich Renz & Marvin M. Müller & Kim Leonardo Böhm, 2023. "When nudges promote neutral behavior: an experimental study of managerial decisions under risk and uncertainty," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 93(8), pages 1309-1354, October.
    6. Anna Paolillo & Jorge Sinval & Sílvia A. Silva & Vittorio E. Scuderi, 2021. "The Relationship between Inclusion Climate and Voice Behaviors beyond Social Exchange Obligation: The Role of Psychological Needs Satisfaction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-19, September.
    7. Hasan Tutar & Ahmet Tuncay Erdem, 2021. "Examining the mediating role of organizational loneliness in the effect of organizational silence on the intention to quit," Upravlenets, Ural State University of Economics, vol. 12(2), pages 102-118, April.
    8. Nurun Nabi & Zhiqiang Liu, 2021. "Benevolent paternalistic leadership behavior and follower's radical creativity: The mediating role of follower's voice behavior and moderating role of follower's power distance orientation," International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 10(3), pages 156-176, April.
    9. Aaron Cohen & Emrah Özsoy & Senem Nart & Sima Nart, 2024. "Does Injudicious Kindness Caused by Power Distance Lead to Organizational Silence Behaviors of Research Assistants?," Istanbul Business Research, Istanbul University Business School, vol. 53(1), pages 41-60, April.
    10. Jimmy Donaghey & Niall Cullinane & Tony Dundon & Adrian Wilkinson, 2011. "Reconceptualising employee silence," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 25(1), pages 51-67, March.
    11. Karakitapoğlu-Aygün, Zahide & Gumusluoglu, Lale & Erturk, Alper & Scandura, Terri A., 2021. "Two to Tango? A cross-cultural investigation of the leader-follower agreement on authoritarian leadership," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 473-485.
    12. Junfan Yu & Saskia Klerk & Michael Hess, 2023. "The influence of cronyism on entrepreneurial resource acquisition," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 40(1), pages 121-150, March.
    13. Jeremy Tanguy, 2013. "Collective and Individual Conflicts in the Workplace: Evidence from F rance," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(1), pages 102-133, January.
    14. Marta Valverde-Moreno & Mercedes Torres-Jiménez & Ana M. Lucia-Casademunt & Ana María Pacheco-Martínez, 2021. "Do National Values of Culture and Sustainability Influence Direct Employee PDM Levels and Scope? The Search for a European Answer," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-25, July.
    15. Blanchflower, David G. & Bryson, Alex, 2008. "Union Decline in Britain," IZA Discussion Papers 3436, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    16. Belloc, Filippo, 2021. "Industrial actions and firing regimes: How deregulating worker “Exit” reshapes worker “Voice”," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 251-264.
    17. Min Park, 2021. "Unionized employees’ influence on executive compensation: Evidence from Korea," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 59(4), pages 1049-1083, December.
    18. Addison, John T. & Teixeira, Paulino, 2022. "Worker Satisfaction and Worker Representation: The Jury Is Still Out," IZA Discussion Papers 15809, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    19. Cardullo, Gabriele & Conti, Maurizio & Sulis, Giovanni, 2020. "A model of unions, two-tier bargaining and capital investment," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    20. John T. Addison & Paulino Teixeira, 2022. "The Incidence and Outcomes of Industrial Action: New Evidence from the 2019 European Company Survey," CESifo Working Paper Series 9685, CESifo.

    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:sae:ecoind:v:43:y:2022:i:4:p:1767-1788. 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: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.ekhist.uu.se/english.htm .

    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.