Table of Content

1.0 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………2-3

2.0 Direct voice……………………………………………………………………………………3

2.1 Two-way communication ……………………………………………………………..4

2.2 Maximize job satisfaction…………………………………………………………......4

2.3 Reduce turnover rates…………………………………………………………......…4-5

3.0 Indirect voice………………………………………………………………………………….5

3.1 Better choice for employee to voice his or her fear…………………………………5-6

3.2 Higher performance ratings…………………………………………………...………6

3.3 Decrease turnover rates & absenteeism……………………………………………….6

4.0 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………….7

5.0 Reference…………………………………………………………………………..………8-10

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1.0 Introduction

Employee voice refers to the participation of employees communicate or influencing their

views preferentially decision to their employer. Employee voice is the term more and more that is
used to cover a complete diversity of methods and structures which empower employees, directly
and indirectly, to contribute to result making in the workplace (Boxall and Purcell,2003). This
matter because it is the only opportunity an employee can prove what really matters that may affect
them in an organization or performance. Additionally, based on Baczor, (2017) in an organization
or industry, if employee voice is taken profoundly, it will contribute towards business
improvement, efficiency and innovation. Nonetheless, employee will benefit as well if the voice
is being heard may generally outcomes in improved job satisfaction, greater influence and better
prospects for development. In the Human Resource Department, employee voice is where
pressures between the organization and workers’ goal line and between shareholder and
stakeholder opinions are the most superficial, because it links with the question of decision-making
privileges and social legitimacy (Holland et al., 2011). Based on Bryson et.al (2007) employee
voice arrangements can be direct or representative and can be delivered in several ways: via a
union, through management initiatives, or as part of a dual channel where management-led voice
and union representation are both present

Based on Human Resource Management standpoint, employee voice indicates an

involvement of the aforementioned decision making in an organization nevertheless its voice is an
offshoot of the Participative Management Model which aims at achieving corporate goals through
management-employee harmony (Souply-Pierard and Robert, 2017). Furthermore, direct voice
enables managers to respond better, thus generating higher levels of employee engagement and
job satisfaction. Research done by Holland et al. (2011) cited by Ganjali and Rezaee (2015), direct
voice arrangement such as regular meetings between managers and employees, were positively
associated with job satisfaction indicating that by having more direct voice arrangements
demonstrates a greater influence on employees' job satisfaction. Opportunities for employee voice
may be implemented at different levels in the workplace; for example, between employees and the
senior manager, between the employees and their immediate line manager, between team or
workgroup members and the leader (Ganjali and Rezaee, 2015).

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 Likewise, the efficiency of Human Resource Management is heightened by the concurrent
presence and the central of employee voice at a workplace that helps reduces costly worker exit,
turnover etc. may increase the flow of productivity. As based on Rees, Alfes and Gatenby, (2013),
research, the usage of voice and Human Resource Management benefits originate from a mutual
common aspect which is driving the implementation of both in increasing managerial excellence,
that allows a firm to handle with organizational and managerial inventions more effortlessly.
Hence, employee voice being the central to Human Resource Management would expect the two
practices to seem in aggregation, a workplace that inducements optimistic benefits and will also
lure positive net aids from the other (Bryson et.al, 2007). Furthermore, based on Machin and Wood
(2005), conditioning on workplace with employee voice, Human Resource department may well
benefit better with roughly forms of voice than various others. As Human Resource Management
may substitute for union voice for example, where HRM produces results that diminish employee
demand for unionization. The existence of union-only voice may indicate union success in
controlling worker voice at the workplace and might hint at the possible to block Human Resource
Management if the union is not convinced of the high-performance attitude which motivates. In
addition, union only voice may infer a dependence on collective rather than separate methods of
employer-employee engagement that might eliminate HRM.

2.0 Direct voice

Direct voice, is concerned with face-to-face or inscribed communications between

managers and subordinates that involves regular individuals rather than representatives. Based on
Applebaum and Batt (1995), cited by Wilkinson et al (2015), this is referred to as ‘on-line’, where
labors make verdicts as part of their day-to-day job responsibilities as dissimilar from ‘off-line’,
where labors form a proposal through a proper scheme and voicing out their dissatisfaction straight
forwardly. The explanation of direct voice refers to the type or pattern of instrument where the
employees are allowed to voiced out directly involving the workplace or environment in the
organization in various type of their jobs, appraisal systems, or work environment, teams and even
meetings between member of staff and the higher-ups. Based on D’Ortenzio (2012), the
participation of the employees is over the individual themselves rather than having a middle man
or any intermediate helping them to voice out their opinion.

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2.1 Two-way communication

Moreover, direct voice refers to a skills or knowledge that is adopted by the managers to
gain the ideas of the employee and also to gain an opinion of the employees as this allows and
open up a two-way communication and most importantly encouraging the employees to participate
or joined by setting up through a communication system. This method not only will create a strong
connection in terms of communication between worker and manager rather than having a
representative. Additionally, based on Kumar (2014), a two-way communication provides
acknowledge between an employee that voice out their opinion or information to its supervisor
and receiving it and providing a response or answer to its employee about its dissatisfaction. Two-
way communication can easily be acknowledging by the reception of message by the receiver.

2.2 Maximize job satisfaction

There are numerous methods and techniques can be benefitted from direct voice from
employee. For example, maximizing job satisfaction. Direct voice used to create an effective
communication as a research done by Berger (2008), shows that by utilizing the communication
form of having a cooperative communication, where the staff and supervisors can contract together
and deliberate their opinions and thoughts on innumerable subjects about the dissatisfaction.
Research done by Yan (2011), direct voice offers employees with a reason to convey their
grievances, feelings, interests and view to their managers. Subsequently, managers will take
required steps for well-being of the employees. As a result, job satisfaction of the employees
increases. At this point, employees are allowed to propose problematic and as well as resolving
any issues that are confronted or even debate on ideas in order to improve the processes (Ying
ying, 2004).

2.3 Reduce Turnover rate

Employee turnover is a serious problem that managers tend to face and hoping to retain
some employees that is talented and recruiting, training and selecting new employees may cost a
massive sum of amount in the bottom line of businesses. But then again, based on Deighan (2016)
research, employees incline to report enjoying their occupations. Based on the Society for Human
Resource Management (SHRM, 2014), it is found that 86% of the United States employees are
content in their contemporary occupations. Secondly, Society for Human Resource Management

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also enlightened that around 72% employees every so often feel appreciated at work. and lastly
58% of the employee get by fine with their bosses (Fisher, 2015). Nevertheless, managers can’t
retain its employee and they leave their jobs in spite of reporting being quite contented with their
profession. Hence, based on Bristol (2015) giving employee direct voice and most importantly
listening it may give a realization to a manager of what an employee wants and needs.

3.0 Indirect voice

Indirect voice is a mechanism involve impacting establishment level decisions via

employee representatives. Organizations will, and often do, employ a range of voice channels,
especially diverse types of direct forms (McCloskey and McDonnell, 2018). Based on Patmore
(2016), this form of voice which is indirect voice is one based on an employee where there is a
collective worker representation and these comprise representation such as, trade unions, non-
union structures of collective representations alike work councils, and consultative committees.
Additionally, indirect voice is a form as mentioned above is more of an indirect method. As for
example, there is no interaction between the individual employee and the managers however are
more based on the employee representative and the managers (Giovannini, 2013).

3.1 Better choice for employee to voice his or her fear

Everyone has feelings of nervousness or anxiety as at some point, whether it is about

preparing for a job conference, etc. While associating with anxiety will alterations to our
psychological state, and physical symptoms such as raised heart rate and adrenaline and it is normal
to understand that it is likely to affect an employee from voicing out only temporarily until the
source of our anxiety has passed or we have learnt to cope with it (Swift et.al, 2014). In order to
ensure that employee will voice out their fear or what is their concern through indirect voice is by
having an intermediary being the voice to participate in matters that affect them at work. As based
on Pyman (2016) research, employee voice thus has an effect that may be measure by which voice
is expressed as the extent to which the voice that will shape and influences on workplace results.
As based on Pyman (2016), indirect voice is associated with positive organizational outcomes, if
an employee has an anxiety to stand-up and willing to face it or being encourage of having the
right to voice out their opinion, the firm will result in as job satisfaction and a healthier industrial

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relations climate. On the other hand, it will also be enhanced individual employment outcomes
such as having faith in an organization and learninig to overcome of voicing out their fear.

3.2 Higher performance ratings

Based on Maasik (2015) article, people who recognize that they are valued, and whose
thoughts are perceived, tend to work harder as this means that an employee are more likely to work
with extra effort and determination at work, and contribute to a company in higher return of
performance ratings. Article from Burton (2012) says that as from the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
theory in psychology on the third level that states affiliation which is the necessity to feel a sense
of belonging or to be loved. For example, in a workplace environment, an employee to feel as
though they are a part of the group and comprised in the work and not being left out. People have
the urge to be accepted by others, especially the people that are afraid to voice out around the most
Based on Kosinki (2017) article, most of the period employee tends to fail to speak up as they feel
the risk factor are high and other employee may be opposed to what they might say or speak out
that it doesn’t feel safe to say or doesn’t make sense. Hence, if this problem is being overcome
with indirect voice being implemented, a firm will get a higher performance rating in return.

3.3 Decrease turnover rates and absenteeism

As based on the Society for Human Resource Management (2014) research, it is proven
that employee in the United States are content in their contemporary occupations in the direct voice
environment. In the environment of indirect voice, a firm or business has to rethink its
communication channels. As based on Ledversis (2018), stationed a manager on the same location
or environment floor as the employee may empowers both the staffs and management in terms of
direct line of access and permitting both parties to report any matters and communicate
instantaneously if any difficulties arise. Having a manager stationed is a first step in improving
communication of indirect voice of an employee as it has to be heard and respected by
administrators in order for it to come affect. Finally, Ledversis (2018) also speaks about how
administrators and management need to set aside time to give, and receive employee responses
and feedbacks. As this can be done in many ways such as having a regular town-hall session, and
1:1 meeting amongst employees and management.

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4.0 Conclusion

In conclusion, indirect or direct voice has its own pros and cons for each of them. Employee
voice is a term gradually used to cover a complete variation of procedures and structures which
allow, and occasionally empower employees either directly and indirectly. Nonetheless, to
contribute decision-making in the firm as employee voice plays a vital role and can be seen as the
capability of personnel to influence the actions of the manager or employer of a firm.

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