Voice Content, Not Just Frequency: New Directions in Voice Research

Employee voice, which occurs when individuals speak up with concerns or ideas for innovations or improvements, is widely viewed as an important contributor to sustainable organizational performance. Researchers have invested significant attention to exploring the factors that encourage or hinder employees from speaking up more frequently, with voice frequency (or quantity) as the the primary dependent variable. More recently, however, researchers have proposed that it is not only the frequency with which employees speak up, but also the content of their voice, that influences whether their voice is well-received and can positively influence organizations. In this symposium, we showcase three papers that explore unique dimensions of the content and perceived quality of employee voice, as well as variables that may facilitate or hinder voice quality. Expanding our understanding of promotive and prohibitive voice by accounting for the scope of voice Presenter: Daniel Newton; U. of Missouri, Columbia Leader humility and voice delivery Presenter: Alexander Romney; Utah State U. When MBWA doesnt work (as well as it should): Routinization effects on employee voice Presenter: Alex Bolinger; Idaho State U. Presenter: Tyler Burch; Idaho State U.