Η φωνή και η σιωπή του εργαζομένου. Επιδράσεις στις συμπεριφορικές στάσεις του εργαζομένου, στην εμπιστοσύνη του στη διοίκηση και στην ετοιμότητα του απέναντι στην αλλαγή

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The essay deals with the study of the employee’s voice and employee’s silence in the public and wider public sector. It is one of the few essays, in Greece, up till now, that studies: a) The employee’s silence, through four, instead of three types of silence b) understands and responds to the need of studying and investigating the application of this particular model of forms of employee’s silence of Knoll and Van Dick (2013). c) studies, in one single, common research model the employee’s voice, the employee’s silence, the employee’s behavioral attitudes, his trust in management and his readiness to change. Specifically, the essay deals with the empirical investigation of relevant studies that are approached in literature, regarding the employee’s voice and silence, in relation, on the one hand, to the three main employee’s behavioral attitudes and in particular satisfaction, engagement and commitment, on the other hand to his trust in management (first line and senior managers). It also examines whether and to what extent the last four factors affect the employee's readiness for change. The essay uses as background: a) the study of Knoll and Van Dick, (2013) where four types of silence are used and not three, b) the studies of Vakola et al. (2013), Van Dyne et al. (2003), Van Dyne & Le Pine (1998), Rees et al. (2013), Pati et al. (2010), Vakola & Bouradas, (2005), Morrison (2011), Pinder & Harlos (2001), Morrison & Milliken (2000), Eby et al. (2000) on employee’s behavioral attitudes, trust in management, readiness to change. The paper conducts primary research, with a questionnaire based on the scales of: Van Dyne & Le Pine (1998) on employee’s voice, Knoll & Van Dick (2013) on employee’s silence, Rees et al. (2013) on employee’s trust in management ((first line and senior managers), Callister (2006) on employee’s satisfaction, Sacks, (2006) on employee’s commitment, Schaufeli et al. (2006) on employee’s engagement and Holt et al. (2007) on employee’s readiness to change. The sampling is carried out in the area of Attica, to people aged 18-67 who work in organizations of the public and wider public sector. After the collection of the questionnaires, statistical processing and analysis of the research findings are carried out. The statistics show that the personnel of the public sector is based on staff that is put in: female sex, higher and highest educational level and has not been renewed in recent years. The number of participants employees compared to that of their hierarchical superiors shows the existence of bureaucratic forms of a low decentralized nature. The research of the study contributes to the finding that the investigated model of Knoll & Van Dick (2013) has a good application in the Greek reality. It is also found that the employee’s voice and employee’s silence affect: employee’s satisfaction, engagement, commitment and the employee's trust in management. Furthermore, the effect of the four above variables, on the employee's trust in first line and senior managers, is found. Key factors in silence are the fear of either facing negative consequences or losing benefits and the fact that voice expression can hurt colleagues or superiors emotionally. When there is silence there is also fear, worry, employee’s resistance with reduced engagement, commitment, satisfaction, trust in management that will negatively affect his readiness to change. Also, the following emerge: The employee expresses his voice with ideas and suggestions to the management, which he trusts when the management behaves in a fair way and has open channels of communication with him. The impact of the forthcoming change on personal relationships in the workplace is a key factor, influencing employee’s readiness to change. It is mentioned that the practical implications of research are equally important because they provide information to management on how to deal with voice and silence for the benefit of the organization and its employees. Thus, the essay helps to strengthen the organization to respond successfully in periods and conditions of change, ensuring positive employee’s behavioral attitudes, improving employee’s readiness to change and utilizing the employee’s voice and silence.