Day-Specific Voice: Examining Within-and Between-Person Variability in Proactive Motivation

Abstract

Using experience-sampling methodology, we examined intra- and interindividual differences in proactive motivational states, voice intentions, and voice actions, as well as the role of employees’ proactive personality and supervisors’ perceived intellectual stimulation. We built on Parker, Bindl, and Strauss’ (2010) model of proactive motivation to examine the impact of ‘can do’, ‘reason to’, and ‘energized to’ motivational states at the within- and between- person level. Hundred-six participants working in different industries completed two daily surveys over a two-week period, producing 562 matched surveys. Results of multilevel structural equation modeling revealed that solely employees’ felt responsibility (‘reason to’ motivation) was positively associated with employees’ voice intentions at the within- and between-person level. Employees’ self- efficacy (‘can do’ motivation) and employees’ vigor (‘reason to’ motivation) did not predict their intention to speak up to their supervisors. Results also revealed a positive association between employees’ proactive personality and their supervisors’ perceived intellectual stimulation with employees’ voice actions. Employees’ felt responsibility mediated this relationship. Overall, the results of our experience-sampling study are (in part) contrary to the current model of proactive motivation. Proactive motivational theories have to be developed further by addressing motivational processes that operate within different time frames (e.g., years, months, weeks, and days).