An Exploratory Study of Employee Silence: Issues that Employees Don’t Communicate Upward and Why*
Abstract
ABSTRACT There is evidence from a variety of sources that employees often do not feel comfortable speaking to their bosses about organizational problems or issues that concern them. The purpose of this study was to shed light on the types of issues that employees are reluctant to raise, and identify why employees sometimes decide to remain silent rather than voice their concerns. We interviewed 40 employees and found that most had been in situations where they were concerned about an issue but did not raise it to a supervisor. Silence spanned a range of organizational issues, with several of our respondents indicating that they did not feel comfortable speaking to those above them about any issues or concerns. The most frequently mentioned reason for remaining silent was the fear of being viewed or labeled negatively, and as a consequence, damaging valued relationships. From our data, we develop a model of how the perceived consequences of voice contribute to silence, and a model of how the social and relational implications of speaking up can take away employees’ ability to have influence within an organizational setting.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Prohibitive voice can lead to negative consequences for the speaker, including managerial retaliation, strained workplace relationships, or exclusion from important decision-making processes.
“prohibitive voice can lead to negative consequences for the speaker, including managerial retaliation, strained workplace relationships, or exclusion from important decision-making processes13–16.”
From Leader prohibitive voice shapes employee voice through psychological safety moderated by self-efficacy and generational differences (2025) · cites this paper as [15]
The most frequently mentioned reason for remaining silent is the fear of being viewed or labeled negatively, and thus, damaging valued relationships.
“The most frequently mentioned reason for remaining silent is the fear of being viewed or labeled negatively, and thus, damaging valued relationships [46].”
From Power Distance Belief and Workplace Communication: The Mediating Role of Fear of Authority (2022) · cites this paper as [46]
Cites
A theory of social comparison processes
Festinger, L. (1954) · Human Relations · doi:10.1177/001872675400700202 · Cited by 20,926 · see citing works
(2008) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-0-387-77282-0_6 · Cited by 17,410 · see citing works
Research in Organizational Behavior
Hammer, E. R., Cummings, L. L., & Staw, B. M. (1984) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.2307/258300 · Cited by 11,176 · see citing works
(1964) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 10,439 · see citing works
Social Capital: Prospects for a New Concept
Adler, P. S., & Kwon, S.-W. (2002) · The Academy of Management Review · doi:10.2307/4134367 · Cited by 9,665 · see citing works
Burt, R. S. (1992) · doi:10.4159/9780674029095 · Cited by 9,093 · see citing works
Structural Holes: The Social Structure of Competition
Lazega, E., & Burt, R. S. (1995) · Revue Française de Sociologie · doi:10.2307/3322456 · Cited by 7,970 · see citing works
Toward a theory of organizational socialization
Maanen, J. V., & Schein, E. H. (1977) · Cited by 2,808 · see citing works
Organizational Silence: A Barrier to Change and Development in a Pluralistic World
Morrison, E. W., & Milliken, F. J. (2000) · The Academy of Management Review · doi:10.2307/259200 · Cited by 2,776 · see citing works
Self-citationDey, I. (2003) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203412497 · Cited by 2,410 · see citing works
The spiral of silence a theory of public opinion
Noelle-Neumann, E. (1974) · Journal of Communication · doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.1974.tb00367.x · Cited by 2,352 · see citing works
Powell, T. C., & Dent‐Micallef, A. (1997) · Strategic Management Journal · doi:10.1002/(sici)1097-0266(199705)18:5 · Cited by 2,074 · see citing works
Resources and Relationships: Social Networks and Mobility in the Workplace
Podolny, J. M., & Baron, J. N. (1997) · American Sociological Review · doi:10.2307/2657354 · Cited by 2,043 · see citing works
Work Group Demography, Social Integration, and Turnover
O’Reilly, C. A., Caldwell, D. F., & Barnett, W. P. (1989) · Administrative Science Quarterly · doi:10.2307/2392984 · Cited by 1,667 · see citing works
Affect, accessibility of material in memory, and behavior: A cognitive loop?
Isen, A. M., Shalker, T. E., Clark, M. S., & Karp, L. (1978) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037//0022-3514.36.1.1 · Cited by 1,487 · see citing works
Employee silence: Quiescence and acquiescence as responses to perceived injustice
Pinder, C. C., & Harlos, K. (2004) · Research in personnel and human resources management · doi:10.1016/s0742-7301(01)20007-3 · Cited by 1,017 · see citing works
Affect, accessibility of material in memory, and behavior: A cognitive loop?
Isen, A. M., Shalker, T. E., Clark, M. S., et al. (1978) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.36.1.1 · Cited by 977 · see citing works
Citizenship Behavior and the Creation of Social Capital in Organizations
Bolino, M. C., Turnley, W. H., & Bloodgood, J. M. (2002) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.2307/4134400 · Cited by 800 · see citing works
Predicting Exit, Voice, Loyalty, and Neglect
Withey, M. J., & Cooper, W. H. (1989) · Administrative Science Quarterly · doi:10.2307/2393565 · Cited by 759 · see citing works
MOVES THAT MATTER: ISSUE SELLING AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE.
Dutton, J. E., Ashford, S. J., O’Neill, R. M., & Lawrence, K. A. (2001) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.2307/3069412 · Cited by 712 · see citing works
Out on a Limb: The Role of Context and Impression Management in Selling Gender-Equity Issues
Ashford, S. J., Rothbard, N. P., Piderit, S. K., & Dutton, J. E. (1998) · Administrative Science Quarterly · doi:10.2307/2393590 · Cited by 632 · see citing works
The Silent Killers of Strategy Implementation and Learning
Beer, M., & Eisenstat, R. A. (2000) · Cited by 626 · see citing works
Moves that Matter: Issue Selling and Organizational Change
Dutton, J. E., Ashford, S. J., O’Neill, R. M., & Lawrence, K. A. (2001) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.5465/3069412 · Cited by 525 · see citing works
LEARNING FROM ACADEMIA: THE IMPORTANCE OF RELATIONSHIPS IN PROFESSIONAL LIFE.
Gersick, C. J. G., Dutton, J. E., & Bartunek, J. M. (2000) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.2307/1556333 · Cited by 452 · see citing works
Blowing the whistle : the organizational and legal implications for companies and employees
Miceli, M. P., & Near, J. P. (1992) · Cited by 421 · see citing works
Blowing the Whistle: The Organizational and Legal Implications for Companies and Employees.
Graham, J. W., Miceli, M. P., & Near, J. P. (1993) · Administrative Science Quarterly · doi:10.2307/2393341 · Cited by 355 · see citing works
Development and Application of a Model of Personal Control in Organizations
Greenberger, D. B., & Strasser, S. (1986) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.5465/amr.1986.4282657 · Cited by 349 · see citing works
Failures in Upward Communication in Organizations: Three Possible Culprits.
Roberts, K. H., & O’Reilly, C. A. (1974) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.2307/254974 · Cited by 323 · see citing works
Nygren, T. E., Isen, A. M., Taylor, P. J., & Dulin, J. (1996) · Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes · doi:10.1006/obhd.1996.0038 · Cited by 321 · see citing works
On Reluctance to Communicate Undesirable Information: The MUM Effect
Rosen, S., & Tesser, A. (1970) · Sociometry · doi:10.2307/2786156 · Cited by 308 · see citing works
Upward Communication in Industrial Hierarchies
Read, W. H. (1962) · Human Relations · doi:10.1177/001872676201500101 · Cited by 296 · see citing works
Tempered Radicals: How People Use Difference to Inspire Change at Work
MEYERSON, D. E. (2001) · Cited by 269 · see citing works
SCHNEIDER, B. E., & Gutek, B. A. (1986) · Contemporary Sociology A Journal of Reviews · doi:10.2307/2071136 · Cited by 257 · see citing works
Transmission of positive and negative feedback to subordinates: A laboratory investigation.
Fisher, C. D. (1979) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/0021-9010.64.5.533 · Cited by 232 · see citing works
Saunders, D. M., Sheppard, B. H., Knight, V., & Roth, J. (1992) · Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal · doi:10.1007/bf01385051 · Cited by 187 · see citing works
Rocking boats, blowing whistles, and teaching speech communication
Redding, W. C. (1985) · Communication Education · doi:10.1080/03634528509378613 · Cited by 181 · see citing works
Ryan, K., & Oestreich, D. K. (1991) · Cited by 125 · see citing works
Upward Information Flow in Organizations: Review and Conceptual Analysis
Glauser, M. J. (1984) · Human Relations · doi:10.1177/001872678403700804 · Cited by 122 · see citing works
MacLeod, C. (2005) · doi:10.1002/0470013494.ch22 · Cited by 101 · see citing works
The distortion of upward communication in hierarchical organizations
Athanassiades, J. C. (1973) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.2307/255323 · Cited by 96 · see citing works
Boat-Rocking in the High-Technology Culture
Sprague, J., & RUUD, G. L. (1988) · American Behavioral Scientist · doi:10.1177/0002764288032002009 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
Rudman, L. A., Borgida, E., & Robertson, B. A. (1995) · Basic and Applied Social Psychology · doi:10.1207/s15324834basp1704_6 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
The Effects of Recipient Desire to Hear on News Transmission
Conlee, M. C., & Tesser, A. (1973) · Sociometry · doi:10.2307/2786254 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Learning Disabilities for Regulators
Tamuz, M. (2001) · Administration & Society · doi:10.1177/00953990122019776 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Beesley, L. (2016) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-01384-8_138 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Why Subjects Say They Would or Would Not Communicate Affectively Toned Messages
Tesser, A., & Rosen, S. (1977) · Psychological Reports · doi:10.2466/pr0.1977.40.1.231 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
2 of the 48 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Psychological Safety: The History, Renaissance, and Future of an Interpersonal Construct
Edmondson, A. C., & Lei, Z. (2014) · Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior · doi:10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-031413-091305 · Cited by 2,577 · see citing works
Nembhard, I. M., & Edmondson, A. C. (2006) · Journal of Organizational Behavior · doi:10.1002/job.413 · Cited by 2,385 · see citing works
8 Social Hierarchy: The Self‐Reinforcing Nature of Power and Status
Magee, J. C., & Galinsky, A. D. (2008) · Academy of Management Annals · doi:10.5465/19416520802211628 · Cited by 2,385 · see citing works
Leadership Behavior and Employee Voice: Is the Door Really Open?
Detert, J. R., & Burris, E. R. (2007) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.5465/amj.2007.26279183 · Cited by 2,250 · see citing works
Employee Voice Behavior: Integration and Directions for Future Research
Morrison, E. W. (2011) · Academy of Management Annals · doi:10.5465/19416520.2011.574506 · Cited by 1,803 · see citing works
Self-citationMorrison, E. W. (2014) · Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior · doi:10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-031413-091328 · Cited by 1,683 · see citing works
Self-citationPsychological Antecedents of Promotive and Prohibitive Voice: A Two-Wave Examination
Liang, J., Farh, C. I. C., & Farh, J.-L. (2012) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.5465/amj.2010.0176 · Cited by 1,647 · see citing works
Nembhard, I. M., & Edmondson, A. C. (2009) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-90-481-2605-7_5 · Cited by 1,006 · see citing works
Implicit Voice Theories: Taken-for-Granted Rules of Self-Censorship at Work
Detert, J. R., & Edmondson, A. C. (2011) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.5465/amj.2011.61967925 · Cited by 998 · see citing works
The Risks and Rewards of Speaking Up: Managerial Responses to Employee Voice
Burris, E. R. (2012) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.5465/amj.2010.0562 · Cited by 800 · see citing works
EMPLOYEE SILENCE ON CRITICAL WORK ISSUES: THE CROSS LEVEL EFFECTS OF PROCEDURAL JUSTICE CLIMATE
Tangirala, S., & Ramanujam, R. (2008) · Personnel Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.1744-6570.2008.00105.x · Cited by 689 · see citing works
Exploring social constructions of followership: A qualitative study
Carsten, M. K., Uhl‐Bien, M., West, B. J., Patera, J. L., & McGregor, R. (2010) · The Leadership Quarterly · doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2010.03.015 · Cited by 650 · see citing works
Silenced by fear:The nature, sources, and consequences of fear at work
Kish-Gephart, J. J., Detert, J. R., Treviño, L. K., & Edmondson, A. C. (2009) · Research in Organizational Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.riob.2009.07.002 · Cited by 596 · see citing works
Maynes, T. D., & Podsakoff, P. M. (2013) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0034284 · Cited by 571 · see citing works
Quitting before leaving: The mediating effects of psychological attachment and detachment on voice.
Burris, E. R., Detert, J. R., & Chiaburu, D. S. (2008) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/0021-9010.93.4.912 · Cited by 570 · see citing works
Liu, W., Zhu, R., & Yang, Y. (2010) · The Leadership Quarterly · doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2009.10.014 · Cited by 555 · see citing works
Avey, J. B., Wernsing, T. S., & Palanski, M. E. (2012) · Journal of Business Ethics · doi:10.1007/s10551-012-1298-2 · Cited by 552 · see citing works
Employee Voice and Silence: Taking Stock a Decade Later
Morrison, E. W. (2022) · Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior · doi:10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-120920-054654 · Cited by 542 · see citing works
Self-citationChamberlin, M., Newton, D. W., & Lepine, J. A. (2017) · Personnel Psychology · doi:10.1111/peps.12185 · Cited by 532 · see citing works
Speaking up in groups: A cross-level study of group voice climate and voice.
Morrison, E. W., Wheeler-Smith, S. L., & Kamdar, D. (2010) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0020744 · Cited by 527 · see citing works
Self-citationSpeaking Up to Higher-Ups: How Supervisors and Skip-Level Leaders Influence Employee Voice
Detert, J. R., & Treviño, L. K. (2008) · Organization Science · doi:10.1287/orsc.1080.0405 · Cited by 517 · see citing works
Triana, M. D. C., Miller, T. L., & Trzebiatowski, T. M. (2013) · Organization Science · doi:10.1287/orsc.2013.0842 · Cited by 465 · see citing works
Antecedents and consequences of organisational silence: an empirical investigation
Vakola, M., & Bouradas, D. (2005) · Employee Relations · doi:10.1108/01425450510611997 · Cited by 446 · see citing works
Fast, N. J., Burris, E. R., & Bartel, C. A. (2014) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.5465/amj.2012.0393 · Cited by 440 · see citing works
Knoll, M. S., & van Dick, R. (2012) · Journal of Business Ethics · doi:10.1007/s10551-012-1308-4 · Cited by 409 · see citing works
Employee silence motives: Investigation of dimensionality and development of measures
Brinsfield, C. T. (2012) · Journal of Organizational Behavior · doi:10.1002/job.1829 · Cited by 408 · see citing works
Xu, A. J., Loi, R. C. H., & Lam, L. W. (2015) · The Leadership Quarterly · doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2015.03.002 · Cited by 397 · see citing works
The functions and dysfunctions of hierarchy
Anderson, C., & Brown, C. E. (2010) · Research in Organizational Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.riob.2010.08.002 · Cited by 395 · see citing works
An Integrative Review of Employee Voice: Identifying a Common Conceptualization and Research Agenda
Mowbray, P. K., Wilkinson, A. J., & Tse, H. H. M. (2014) · International Journal of Management Reviews · doi:10.1111/ijmr.12045 · Cited by 382 · see citing works
Bashshur, M. R., & Oc, B. (2014) · Journal of Management · doi:10.1177/0149206314558302 · Cited by 369 · see citing works
Rehg, M. T., Miceli, M. P., Near, J. P., & Scotter, J. R. V. (2008) · Organization Science · doi:10.1287/orsc.1070.0310 · Cited by 362 · see citing works
Rocking the Boat but Keeping It Steady: The Role of Emotion Regulation in Employee Voice
Grant, A. M. (2012) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.5465/amj.2011.0035 · Cited by 354 · see citing works
Ng, T. W. H., & Lucianetti, L. (2015) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/apl0000029 · Cited by 353 · see citing works
Tangirala, S., & Ramanujam, R. (2012) · Personnel Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.1744-6570.2012.01248.x · Cited by 314 · see citing works
Stamolampros, P., Korfiatis, N., Chalvatzis, K., & Buhalis, D. (2019) · Tourism Management · doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2019.04.030 · Cited by 309 · see citing works
McClean, E. J., Martín, S., Emich, K. J., & Woodruff, T. (2017) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.5465/amj.2016.0148 · Cited by 304 · see citing works
Voice Flows to and around Leaders
Detert, J. R., Burris, E. R., Harrison, D. A., & Martín, S. (2013) · Administrative Science Quarterly · doi:10.1177/0001839213510151 · Cited by 283 · see citing works
Crossing the line(s): A dual threshold model of anger in organizations
Geddes, D., & Callister, R. R. (2007) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.5465/amr.2007.25275495 · Cited by 273 · see citing works
Effects of message, source, and context on evaluations of employee voice behavior.
Whiting, S. W., Maynes, T. D., Podsakoff, N. P., & Podsakoff, P. M. (2011) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0024871 · Cited by 263 · see citing works
Reconceptualising employee silence
Donaghey, J., Cullinane, N., Dundon, T., & Wilkinson, A. J. (2011) · Work Employment and Society · doi:10.1177/0950017010389239 · Cited by 261 · see citing works
Construction Principles and Design Rules in the Case of Circular Design
Romme, A. G. L., & Endenburg, G. (2006) · Organization Science · doi:10.1287/orsc.1050.0169 · Cited by 260 · see citing works
How social class shapes thoughts and actions in organizations
Côté, S. (2011) · Research in Organizational Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.riob.2011.09.004 · Cited by 249 · see citing works
Wilkinson, A. J., & Fay, C. H. (2011) · Human Resource Management · doi:10.1002/hrm.20411 · Cited by 245 · see citing works
Huang, X., de Vliert, E. V., & van der Vegt, G. S. (2005) · Management and Organization Review · doi:10.1111/j.1740-8784.2005.00023.x · Cited by 243 · see citing works
Why and When Leaders’ Affective States Influence Employee Upward Voice
Liu, W., Song, Z., Li, X., & Liao, Z. (2017) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.5465/amj.2013.1082 · Cited by 241 · see citing works
When Does Voice Lead to Exit? It Depends on Leadership
McClean, E. J., Burris, E. R., & Detert, J. R. (2012) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.5465/amj.2011.0041 · Cited by 237 · see citing works
Wang, Y.-D., & Hsieh, H.-H. (2012) · Human Relations · doi:10.1177/0018726712460706 · Cited by 237 · see citing works
Walumbwa, F. O., Morrison, E. W., & Christensen, A. L. (2012) · The Leadership Quarterly · doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2012.06.004 · Cited by 234 · see citing works
Self-citationBeyond knowledge sharing: Withholding knowledge at work
Webster, J., Brown, G., Zweig, D., Connelly, C. E., Brodt, S. E., & Sitkin, S. B. (2008) · Research in personnel and human resources management · doi:10.1016/s0742-7301(08)27001-5 · Cited by 234 · see citing works
Jahanzeb, S., & Fatima, T. (2017) · Journal of Business and Psychology · doi:10.1007/s10869-017-9525-6 · Cited by 230 · see citing works
The Determinants of Alternative Forms of Workplace Voice
Klaas, B. S., Olson‐Buchanan, J. B., & Ward, A. K. (2011) · Journal of Management · doi:10.1177/0149206311423823 · Cited by 229 · see citing works
Traditional Chinese leadership and employee voice behavior: A cross-level examination
Li, Y., & Sun, J. (2014) · The Leadership Quarterly · doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2014.08.001 · Cited by 227 · see citing works
Lee, D., Yongduk, C., Youn, S., & Chun, J. U. (2015) · Journal of Business Ethics · doi:10.1007/s10551-015-2689-y · Cited by 227 · see citing works
Wei, X., Zhang, Z.-X., & Chen, X.-P. (2015) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0039046 · Cited by 218 · see citing works
Speaking Up vs. Being Heard: The Disagreement Around and Outcomes of Employee Voice
Burris, E. R., Detert, J. R., & Romney, A. C. (2012) · Organization Science · doi:10.1287/orsc.1110.0732 · Cited by 216 · see citing works
Toward an integration of research on employee voice
Wilkinson, A. J., Barry, M., & Morrison, E. W. (2019) · Human Resource Management Review · doi:10.1016/j.hrmr.2018.12.001 · Cited by 212 · see citing works
Self-citationWorkplace bullying and employee silence
Rai, A., & Agarwal, U. A. (2017) · Personnel Review · doi:10.1108/pr-03-2017-0071 · Cited by 202 · see citing works
Garner, J. T., & Garner, L. T. (2010) · Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly · doi:10.1177/0899764010366181 · Cited by 201 · see citing works
Kiewitz, C., Restubog, S. L. D., Shoss, M. K., Garcia, P., & Tang, R. L. (2016) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/apl0000074 · Cited by 200 · see citing works
Speaking up and moving up: How voice can enhance employees' social status
Weiss, M., & Morrison, E. W. (2018) · Journal of Organizational Behavior · doi:10.1002/job.2262 · Cited by 200 · see citing works
Self-citationTangirala, S., Kamdar, D., Venkataramani, V., & Parke, M. R. (2013) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0033855 · Cited by 197 · see citing works
Morrison, E. W., See, K. E., & Pan, C. (2014) · Personnel Psychology · doi:10.1111/peps.12087 · Cited by 193 · see citing works
Self-citationEchoes of Silence: Employee Silence as a Mediator Between Overall Justice and Employee Outcomes
Whiteside, D. B., & Barclay, L. J. (2012) · Journal of Business Ethics · doi:10.1007/s10551-012-1467-3 · Cited by 190 · see citing works
Ethical and Unethical Leadership: A Cross-Cultural and Cross-Sectoral Analysis
Eisenbeiß, S. A., & Brodbeck, F. C. (2013) · Journal of Business Ethics · doi:10.1007/s10551-013-1740-0 · Cited by 189 · see citing works
The psychological contracts of violation victims: A post‐violation model
Tomprou, M., Rousseau, D. M., & Hansen, S. D. (2015) · Journal of Organizational Behavior · doi:10.1002/job.1997 · Cited by 188 · see citing works
Simpson, R., & Lewis, P. (2005) · Human Relations · doi:10.1177/0018726705058940 · Cited by 188 · see citing works
Lam, L. W., & Xu, A. J. (2018) · Applied Psychology · doi:10.1111/apps.12170 · Cited by 187 · see citing works
Cassematis, P., & Wortley, R. (2012) · Journal of Business Ethics · doi:10.1007/s10551-012-1548-3 · Cited by 186 · see citing works
Guo, L., Decoster, S., Babalola, M. T., Schutter, L. D., Garba, O. A., & Riisla, K. (2018) · Journal of Business Research · doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.07.034 · Cited by 184 · see citing works
Xu, M., Qin, X., Dust, S. B., & DiRenzo, M. S. (2019) · The Leadership Quarterly · doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2019.03.001 · Cited by 180 · see citing works
When Do Employees Speak up for Their Customers? A Model of Voice in a Customer Service Context
Lam, C. F., & Mayer, D. M. (2013) · Personnel Psychology · doi:10.1111/peps.12050 · Cited by 176 · see citing works
Supervisory Responsiveness and Employee Self-Perceived Status and Voice Behavior
Janssen, O., & Gao, L. (2013) · Journal of Management · doi:10.1177/0149206312471386 · Cited by 176 · see citing works
Carnevale, J. B., Huang, L. V., Credé, M., Harms, P. D., & Uhl‐Bien, M. (2017) · Applied Psychology · doi:10.1111/apps.12102 · Cited by 174 · see citing works
Lebel, R. D. (2016) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.5465/amr.2014.0368 · Cited by 173 · see citing works
Knowledge-hiding behaviors and employees’ silence: mediating role of psychological contract breach
Bari, M. W., Ghaffar, M., & Ahmad, B. (2020) · Journal of Knowledge Management · doi:10.1108/jkm-02-2020-0149 · Cited by 173 · see citing works
Schwappach, D. L. B., & Gehring, K. (2014) · BMC Health Services Research · doi:10.1186/1472-6963-14-303 · Cited by 172 · see citing works
Who gets credit for input? Demographic and structural status cues in voice recognition.
Howell, T. M., Harrison, D. A., Burris, E. R., & Detert, J. R. (2015) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/apl0000025 · Cited by 171 · see citing works
Overcoming dysfunctional momentum: Organizational safety as a social achievement
Barton, M. A., & Sutcliffe, K. M. (2009) · Human Relations · doi:10.1177/0018726709334491 · Cited by 169 · see citing works
Sensemaking and the Distortion of Critical Upward Communication in Organizations
Tourish, D., & Robson, P. (2006) · Journal of Management Studies · doi:10.1111/j.1467-6486.2006.00608.x · Cited by 167 · see citing works
Huang, L. V., & Paterson, T. A. (2014) · Journal of Management · doi:10.1177/0149206314546195 · Cited by 167 · see citing works
Dimoff, J. K., & Kelloway, E. K. (2018) · Journal of Occupational Health Psychology · doi:10.1037/ocp0000126 · Cited by 166 · see citing works
Towards an integration of employee voice and silence
Nechanska, E., Hughes, E., & Dundon, T. (2018) · Human Resource Management Review · doi:10.1016/j.hrmr.2018.11.002 · Cited by 163 · see citing works
Fear, black people and mental illness: A vicious circle?
Keating, F., & Robertson, D. (2004) · Health & Social Care in the Community · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2524.2004.00506.x · Cited by 162 · see citing works
Lloyd, K. J., Boer, D., Keller, J., & Voelpel, S. C. (2014) · Journal of Business Ethics · doi:10.1007/s10551-014-2242-4 · Cited by 161 · see citing works
Employee voice and work engagement: Macro, meso, and micro-level drivers of convergence?
Kwon, B., Farndale, E., & Park, J. G. (2016) · Human Resource Management Review · doi:10.1016/j.hrmr.2016.04.005 · Cited by 160 · see citing works
Leveraging the employee voice: a multi-level social learning perspective of ethical leadership
Bai, Y., Lin, L., & Liu, J. T. (2017) · The International Journal of Human Resource Management · doi:10.1080/09585192.2017.1308414 · Cited by 152 · see citing works
Enabling Courageous Collective Action: Conversations from United Airlines Flight 93
Quinn, R. W., & Worline, M. C. (2008) · Organization Science · doi:10.1287/orsc.1070.0331 · Cited by 151 · see citing works
When and why do central employees speak up? An examination of mediating and moderating variables.
Venkataramani, V., & Tangirala, S. (2010) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0018315 · Cited by 147 · see citing works
Employee voice viewed through a cross-cultural lens
Kwon, B., & Farndale, E. (2018) · Human Resource Management Review · doi:10.1016/j.hrmr.2018.06.002 · Cited by 147 · see citing works
Schilpzand, P., Houston, L. N., & Cho, J. (2018) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.5465/amj.2016.0936 · Cited by 146 · see citing works
An exploratory examination of voice behavior from an impression management perspective.
Fuller, J. B., Barnett, T., Hester, K., Relyea, C., & Frey, L. (2007) · Journal of managerial issues · Cited by 145 · see citing works
A sensemaking lens on reliability
Blatt, R., Christianson, M. K., Sutcliffe, K. M., & Rosenthal, M. M. (2006) · Journal of Organizational Behavior · doi:10.1002/job.392 · Cited by 145 · see citing works
Convergence and emergence in organizations: An integrative framework and review
Fulmer, C. A., & Ostroff, C. L. (2015) · Journal of Organizational Behavior · doi:10.1002/job.1987 · Cited by 144 · see citing works
Hu, Y., Zhu, L., Zhou, M., Li, J., Maguire, P., Sun, H., & Wang, D. (2018) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01718 · Cited by 144 · see citing works
Rasheed, M. A., Shahzad, K., Conroy, C., Nadeem, S., & Siddique, M. U. (2017) · Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development · doi:10.1108/jsbed-11-2016-0185 · Cited by 143 · see citing works
Ng, T. W. H., & Feldman, D. C. (2013) · Personnel Psychology · doi:10.1111/peps.12025 · Cited by 142 · see citing works
Speaking up to prevent harm: A systematic review of the safety voice literature
Noort, M. C., Reader, T. W., & Gillespie, A. (2019) · Safety Science · doi:10.1016/j.ssci.2019.04.039 · Cited by 141 · see citing works
Fernando, D., & Prasad, A. (2018) · Human Relations · doi:10.1177/0018726718809164 · Cited by 140 · see citing works
Idiosyncratic Deals and Voice Behavior
Ng, T. W. H., & Feldman, D. C. (2012) · Journal of Management · doi:10.1177/0149206312457824 · Cited by 137 · see citing works
Sounds of Silence: Graduate Trainees, Hegemony and Resistance
Brown, A. D., & Coupland, C. (2005) · Organization Studies · doi:10.1177/0170840605053540 · Cited by 136 · see citing works
- Authors
- Milliken, F. J., Morrison, E. W., & Hewlin, P. F.
- Affiliations
- New York University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Milliken, Frances J.
- Venue
- Journal of Management Studies
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2003-08-04
- Volume
- 40
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1453-1476
- ISSN
- 0022-2380 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-6486
- OpenAlex
- W2013337369
- Cited by
- 1,671
- References
- 48
- Citations by year
- 2026: 112 · 2025: 100 · 2024: 136 · 2023: 104 · 2022: 131 · 2021: 163 · 2020: 125 · 2019: 95 · 2018: 131 · 2017: 82 · 2016: 108 · 2015: 74 · 2014: 73 · 2013: 60 · 2012: 40
- FWCI
- 17.12
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Management Studies (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior
- Social Sciences › Public Administration › Labor Movements and Unions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Communication in Education and Healthcare
- Keywords
- employee silence, upward communication, speaking up, fear of negative evaluation, supervisor-employee relationship, organizational voice, employee influence, workplace communication
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
