Employee Voice Behavior and Perceived Control: Does Remote Work Environment Matter?

Date of Award

2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Organization Development & Change (D.O.D.C.)

Department

Organization Development

First Advisor

Swathi Ravichandran (Committee Chair)

Second Advisor

Phillip Peek (Other)

Third Advisor

Michelle Brodke (Committee Member)

Abstract

Important outcomes of perceived control and employee voice behavior include employee-driven innovation, increased productivity, and job satisfaction; therefore, it is essential to study if there is a difference in a remote versus an in-person work environment. The 81 participants in this study were employees at a public utilities department in a local municipal government that had worked both remotely and in-person during the peak of the covid-19 pandemic. This research also looked at the role communication modalities played for both in-person and remote work scenarios. Although these employees indicated there was no difference in perceived control and employee voice. This study's data suggests that voice behavior and perceived control are stable attitudes that are not impacted by the move from in-person to remote work. As more employees press for remote work arrangements, these data indicate that managers should not expect voice or perceived control to be impacted (negatively or positively) when employees work remotely. These participants indicated both Zoom staff meetings and Zoom one-to-one meetings with their supervisor were important, however, only Zoom one-to-one meetings with the supervisor were indicated to be satisfactory, which is not surprising during a time of social isolation.

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