TY - JOUR
T1 - Voice for oneself
T2 - Self-interested voice and its antecedents and consequences
AU - Duan, Jinyun
AU - Xu, Yue
AU - Wang, Xiaotian
AU - Wu, Chia Huei
AU - Wang, Ying
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The British Psychological Society
PY - 2021/3
Y1 - 2021/3
N2 - The aim of this study was to introduce a concept of self-interested voice, or voluntarily expressed ideas, solutions, or concerns related to workplace issues that affect the voicer’s personal interests. Three studies were conducted. In the scale development study, we developed and validated a new measure of self-interested voice with a sample of 36 researchers for content validity and a sample of 362 employees for factorial and discriminant validity. In Study 1, we examined the antecedents and motivational pathways of self-interested voice. We proposed that perceived organizational politics (POP) can promote self-serving cognition, especially among those high in Machiavellian personality, and thus lead to self-interested voice. Our hypotheses were supported by results from time-lagged survey data from 262 employees and 117 supervisors in China. In Study 2, we extended the model by including the outcomes of self-interested voice. Using another Chinese sample (282 employees matched with 105 direct supervisors), we replicated the findings of Study 1 and additionally found that self-interested voice was negatively related to supervisors’ liking and suggested salary increases of the employees but not task performance and promotability. The implications for employee voice research are discussed. Practitioner points: Employees can send their voice concerning ideas, solutions, or concerns related to workplace issues that affect their personal interests. Perceived organizational politics (POP) is an important trigger of employee self-interested voice, especially among those high in Machiavellian personality. It is vital for managers to monitor the politicking climate in the workplace to reduce employees’ self-interested voice at work. While employees are likely to engage in self-interested voice to protect their interests when perceiving organizational politics, such behaviour will lead to negative reactions from supervisors, such as lower supervisor liking and more hesitation in suggesting salary increases.
AB - The aim of this study was to introduce a concept of self-interested voice, or voluntarily expressed ideas, solutions, or concerns related to workplace issues that affect the voicer’s personal interests. Three studies were conducted. In the scale development study, we developed and validated a new measure of self-interested voice with a sample of 36 researchers for content validity and a sample of 362 employees for factorial and discriminant validity. In Study 1, we examined the antecedents and motivational pathways of self-interested voice. We proposed that perceived organizational politics (POP) can promote self-serving cognition, especially among those high in Machiavellian personality, and thus lead to self-interested voice. Our hypotheses were supported by results from time-lagged survey data from 262 employees and 117 supervisors in China. In Study 2, we extended the model by including the outcomes of self-interested voice. Using another Chinese sample (282 employees matched with 105 direct supervisors), we replicated the findings of Study 1 and additionally found that self-interested voice was negatively related to supervisors’ liking and suggested salary increases of the employees but not task performance and promotability. The implications for employee voice research are discussed. Practitioner points: Employees can send their voice concerning ideas, solutions, or concerns related to workplace issues that affect their personal interests. Perceived organizational politics (POP) is an important trigger of employee self-interested voice, especially among those high in Machiavellian personality. It is vital for managers to monitor the politicking climate in the workplace to reduce employees’ self-interested voice at work. While employees are likely to engage in self-interested voice to protect their interests when perceiving organizational politics, such behaviour will lead to negative reactions from supervisors, such as lower supervisor liking and more hesitation in suggesting salary increases.
KW - Machiavellian personality
KW - perceived organizational politics
KW - self-interested voice
KW - self-serving cognition
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85096875396&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/joop.12334
DO - 10.1111/joop.12334
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85096875396
SN - 0963-1798
VL - 94
SP - 1
EP - 28
JO - JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
JF - JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
IS - 1
ER -