IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i16p9970-d886348.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Curvilinear Relationship between Employee Voice and Managers’ Performance Evaluations: The Moderating Role of Voice Consensus

Author

Listed:
  • Zhenzhen Zhang

    (School of Management, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No.28, West Xianning Road, Xi’an 710049, China)

  • Qiaozhuan Liang

    (School of Management, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No.28, West Xianning Road, Xi’an 710049, China)

  • Jie Li

    (School of Management, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No.28, West Xianning Road, Xi’an 710049, China)

Abstract

In the rapidly changing business environment, employee voice can be a key driver of organizations’ sustainable development. However, how can employees ensure that they receive a positive response from their managers? To what extent do the voice patterns within the team influence managers’ reactions to one employee’s voice behaviors? To address these questions, we draw on the antecedent–benefit–cost framework (ABC framework) and knowledge management literature to investigate the inverted U-shaped relationship between employee voice and managers’ performance evaluations and the role of voice consensus (i.e., the extent to which the frequency of an employee’s voice is dissimilar to that of his/her coworkers) in shaping this relationship. The results of a field study of 173 employees in 37 groups show that employees who engage in moderate levels of voice are rated as better performers than those who rarely voice or voice very frequently, especially when the frequency of employees’ voice deviates from the voice frequency of their coworkers (i.e., low consensus). These findings highlight that it is not only important to explore the frequency of voice when studying managerial responses to employee voice but to also examine other dimensions of the voice behavior (such as voice consensus).

Suggested Citation

  • Zhenzhen Zhang & Qiaozhuan Liang & Jie Li, 2022. "The Curvilinear Relationship between Employee Voice and Managers’ Performance Evaluations: The Moderating Role of Voice Consensus," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-14, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:16:p:9970-:d:886348
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/16/9970/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/16/9970/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Delio I. Castaneda & Camilo A. Ramírez, 2021. "Cultural Values and Knowledge Sharing in the Context of Sustainable Organizations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-15, July.
    2. Inmaculada Silla & Francisco J. Gracia & José M. Peiró, 2020. "Upward Voice: Participative Decision Making, Trust in Leadership and Safety Climate Matter," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-17, May.
    3. Ethan R. Burris & James R. Detert & Alexander C. Romney, 2013. "Speaking Up vs. Being Heard: The Disagreement Around and Outcomes of Employee Voice," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(1), pages 22-38, February.
    4. MacKenzie, Scott B. & Podsakoff, Philip M. & Fetter, Richard, 1991. "Organizational citizenship behavior and objective productivity as determinants of managerial evaluations of salespersons' performance," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 123-150, October.
    5. Wang Ro Lee & Suk Bong Choi & Seung-Wan Kang, 2021. "How Leaders’ Positive Feedback Influences Employees’ Innovative Behavior: The Mediating Role of Voice Behavior and Job Autonomy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-13, February.
    6. Jo Thori Lind & Halvor Mehlum, 2010. "With or Without U? The Appropriate Test for a U‐Shaped Relationship," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 72(1), pages 109-118, February.
    7. Woocheol Kim & Gohar Feroz Khan & Jacob Wood & Muhammad Tariq Mahmood, 2016. "Employee Engagement for Sustainable Organizations: Keyword Analysis Using Social Network Analysis and Burst Detection Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(7), pages 1-11, July.
    8. Dan Lovallo & Alexander L. Brown & David J. Teece & David Bardolet, 2020. "Resource re‐allocation capabilities in internal capital markets: The value of overcoming inertia," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(8), pages 1365-1380, August.
    9. Anna Paolillo & Jorge Sinval & Sílvia A. Silva & Vittorio E. Scuderi, 2021. "The Relationship between Inclusion Climate and Voice Behaviors beyond Social Exchange Obligation: The Role of Psychological Needs Satisfaction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-19, September.
    10. Elad N. Sherf & Subrahmaniam Tangirala & Vijaya Venkataramani, 2019. "Why Managers Do Not Seek Voice from Employees: The Importance of Managers’ Personal Control and Long-Term Orientation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(3), pages 447-466, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Vivien Lefebvre, 2023. "Human resources slack and profitability: SMEs, large firms, and the role of business group affiliation," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 13(3), pages 611-637, September.
    2. Nguimkeu, Pierre & Zeufack, Albert, 2024. "Manufacturing in structural change in Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    3. Carlos Carreira & Luís Lopes, 2016. "Collecting new pieces to the regional knowledge spillovers puzzle: high-tech versus low-tech industries," GEMF Working Papers 2016-06, GEMF, Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra.
    4. Montag, Felix & Mamrak, Robin & Sagimuldina, Alina & Schnitzer, Monika, 2023. "Imperfect price information, market power, and tax pass-through," Working Papers 337, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, George J. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State.
    5. Kifle T. Sebhatu & Fatemeh Taheri & Tekeste Berhanu & Miet Maertens & Steven Van Passel & Marijke D'Haese, 2021. "Beyond focus: Exploring variability of service provision of agricultural cooperatives," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 92(2), pages 207-231, June.
    6. Kelbesa Megersa & Danny Cassimon, 2015. "Public Debt, Economic Growth, and Public Sector Management in Developing Countries: Is There a Link?," Public Administration & Development, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 35(5), pages 329-346, December.
    7. Baah Aye Kusi & Lydia Adzobu & Alex Kwame Abasi & Kwadjo Ansah-Adu, 2020. "Sectoral Loan Portfolio Concentration and Bank Stability: Evidence from an Emerging Economy," Journal of Emerging Market Finance, Institute for Financial Management and Research, vol. 19(1), pages 66-99, April.
    8. Helge Berger & Volker Nitsch, 2011. "Too Many Cooks? Committees in Monetary Policy," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 78(2), pages 452-475, October.
    9. Mbassi, Christophe Martial & Messono, Omang Ombolo, 2023. "Historical technology and current economic development: Reassessing the nature of the relationship," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    10. Ye, Silin & Zhou, Jing & Jiang, Yunwen & Liu, Xiaming, 2023. "Managers as the bridge: How cultural friction influences the integration of cross-border mergers and acquisitions," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(4).
    11. Emna Trabelsi, 2016. "Transparency on inflation of OECD countries? An Application of LSDVC Estimator on a dynamic Panel Model," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 36(2), pages 1095-1126.
    12. Tabuchi, Takatoshi, 2023. "Backward-bending labor supply and urban location," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    13. Xiaodong Teng & Kun-Shan Wu & Lopin Kuo & Bao-Guang Chang, 2023. "Investigating the double-edged sword effect of environmental, social and governance practices on corporate risk-taking in the high-tech industry," Oeconomia Copernicana, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 14(2), pages 511-549, June.
    14. Tommaso Pucci & Mara Brumana & Tommaso Minola & Lorenzo Zanni, 2020. "Social capital and innovation in a life science cluster: the role of proximity and family involvement," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 205-227, February.
    15. Benbouzid, Nadia & Leonida, Leone & Mallick, Sushanta K., 2018. "The non-monotonic impact of bank size on their default swap spreads: Cross-country evidence," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 226-240.
    16. Zhou, Dan & Yan, Tingting & Zhao, Lilong & Guo, Jingjing, 2020. "Performance implications of servitization: Does a Manufacturer's service supply network matter?," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 219(C), pages 31-42.
    17. Samargandi, Nahla & Fidrmuc, Jan & Ghosh, Sugata, 2015. "Is the Relationship Between Financial Development and Economic Growth Monotonic? Evidence from a Sample of Middle-Income Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 66-81.
    18. Männasoo, Kadri, 2022. "Working hours and gender wage differentials: Evidence from the American Working Conditions Survey," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    19. Isis Gaddis & Stephan Klasen, 2014. "Economic development, structural change, and women’s labor force participation:," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 27(3), pages 639-681, July.
    20. Song, Xiaoling & Yao, Yumeng & Wu, Xueke, 2023. "Digital finance, technological innovation, and carbon dioxide emissions," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 482-494.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:16:p:9970-:d:886348. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.