Voice and Silence in Small and Medium Enterprises from the Perspective of Employees and managers

Abstract

Employee voice research has mainly focused on studying large, unionised, workplaces. Although some research has focused on examining the factors that facilitate or inhibit voice in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), there is need for more analytical research in this area because of the benefits that employee voice can bring to small organisational settings. This paper addresses this gap by examining the internal factors influencing employee voice and silence in SMEs, drawing on 87 interviews with employees and managers in 29 non-unionised SMEs operating in four European countries. The findings indicate that the employee-manager/owner relationship in SMEs is pivotal in determining employee voice or silence because of the predominant use of informal direct voice mechanisms and the often lack of an internal HR function to regulate employment relations. Our findings contribute to employee voice theory by offering a conceptualisation of the internal factors influencing voice and silence in SMEs, guides further research in this respect and discusses implications for HR practice.