The Formation of Employee Voice - An Experimental Investigation of the Role of the Message Content

Abstract

Research on employee voice has highlighted the importance of the content of the message. Based on the message content, employee voice is either the expression of ideas and suggestions (promotive voice) or speaking about problems and errors (prohibitive voice). However, empirical research on how supervisor’s openness (the employee’s perception of whether their supervisor listens) and futility (believing that voice will not be heard) might differ in their influence on the formation of promotive or prohibitive voice is missing. Using a vignette design, we test our hypotheses about the differences in the formation of employee voice within a German sample of professional accountants (n=277). We found that psychological safety was only a predictor for prohibitive voice, while futility was only for promotive voice. Further, supervisor’s mood and openness only indirectly increased employee voice, either through psychological safety or through futility. We discuss theoretical and practical implications as well as the limitations of our study.