Toward a Theory of Voice Motives

Abstract

Why do employees choose to engage in constructive voice in the first place? This research aims to construct a theory of voice motives by deriving a taxonomy of the different motives underlying constructive voice. To achieve this goal, we defined constructive voice from the actor's perspective and treated it as behavior theoretically distinct from a specific motive. We derived voice motives by synthesizing the voice literature. To compile evidence supporting the taxonomy of voice motives, we constructed the Voice Motives Scale for measuring voice motives. Subject matter experts evaluated the correspondence between the initial items we generated and the conceptual definitions of voice motives. Items demonstrating adequate content validity were retained and subject to exploratory factor analysis. After discovering the factor structure, we conducted confirmatory factor analysis using a different sample to verify factor structure. We also gathered convergent and discriminant validity evidence using a comparison construct theoretically aligned with a specific voice motive with this sample. We then accessed the third sample to leverage the false consensus effect as an alternative way to verify factor structure and gather validity evidence. In summary, the evidence across multiple data collections provided support for our theory of nine voice motives: acquisitive, status, fulfilling, beneficent, protective, authentic, organizational exchange, accountable, and normative motives. Both items and factors display good psychometric properties with high levels of internal consistency reliability. Fit indices confirmed a consistent structure cross-validated across multiple samples and repeated evidence for item-level and factor-level validity.