Employee voice behavior and perceived control: does remote work environment matter?

Purpose This study's purpose is to explore the difference in employee voice behavior along with its modalities and employee perceived control in a remote vs an in-office work situation. Design/methodology/approach Employees who worked remotely and in-person at a local municipal government in the Great Lakes Region of the United States were surveyed. Findings Findings suggest voice behavior and perceived control are stable attitudes and not impacted by a move from in-person to remote work. Participants indicated both Zoom staff meetings and Zoom one-to-one meetings with their supervisor were important; however, only Zoom one-to-one meetings with the supervisor were indicated to be satisfactory. Practical implications This study suggests that organizations considering moving some of their operations to a fully remote work situation would not experience differences in employee voice or perceived control. Implications related to utilizing specific communication modalities are also discussed. Originality/value This is the only study that focuses on differences in employee voice, its modalities and perceived control comparing in-person vs remote work.