Employee dissent : the choice of voice versus silence

The phenomenon of employee voice versus silence as a response to knowledge of deviations in organizational performance was examined in a field setting. Attitudes toward the supervisor, the managerial climate and the organization in general were investigated as they related to voice versus silence. Results suggested that the supervisor's support for dissent behavior and the effectiveness of the supervisor-subordinate relationship were important factors associated with voicing a concern. Results also suggested that voicing a concern does not have a negative impact on the supervisor-subordinate relationship. Employees who voiced concerns reported a more positive managerial climate as measured by (1) general attitude toward management, (2) top management leadership, (3) participatory climate, and (4) management responsiveness to dissent behavior. There were no differences in attitudes toward the organization in general as measured by organizational commitment or job involvement for those who remained silent versus those who voiced concerns about organizational performance. The implications of the findings for organizations and for future research are discussed.