Voice resilience: Fostering future voice after non‐endorsement of suggestions

We draw on Gouldner's (1960, Am. Sociol. Rev., 25, 161) norm of reciprocity to accomplish three goals: (1) theoretically depict the employee voice process as an exchange relationship that is maintained when both parties provide benefits 'in kind' to each other; (2) introduce the notion of voice resilience, defined as subsequent engagement in voice despite adversity in the process (i.e., voice non-endorsement); and (3) demonstrate the importance of voice safety as a key mechanism that facilitates voice resilience. When employees speak up to their leaders with suggestions for change, this behaviour is positively intended and represents a contribution to the leader and to the mutual relationship because voice is a risky behaviour. When leaders do not implement employee suggestions (non-endorsement of voice) but reciprocate by providing adequate explanations for non-endorsement, this should foster employee perceptions of voice safety and make it more likely that employees will speak up with suggestions in the future (subsequent voice). In sum, this mutual exchange of benefits, voice from the employee and adequate explanations for non-endorsement from the leader, should foster voice resilience. Results across two studies (field and laboratory) demonstrate that sensitivity of explanations for non-endorsement (not specificity) predicts follower's voice safety and subsequent voice. We discuss the theoretical implications of the more personal nature of sensitive explanations compared to the more descriptive and factual nature of specific explanations and consider the practical benefits of encouraging leaders and organizations to view the voice process as a mutual exchange relationship. Practitioner points Organizations can offer training and development on how to maintain voice exchange relationships even when leaders do not endorse employee suggestions. Our work demonstrates that it is critically important for leaders to exhibit sensitivity in their non-endorsement responses to employee suggestions. If explanations in the voice process are delivered in a sensitive manner, our research shows that voice resilience can be achieved by fostering voice safety such that employees are significantly more likely to engage in subsequent voice.