Employee voice, engagement and organizational effectiveness: a mediated model

Abstract

Purpose

This study is based on social exchange theory and aims at understanding the role of employee engagement as a mediator between employee voice and organizational effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

Data was collected to test the mediating role of employee engagement between employee voice and organizational effectiveness. The respondents were employees in different IT companies located in major cities in India. The model was tested for full and partial mediation of employee engagement using structural equation modeling.

Findings

Considering the self-reported survey from 232 employees from companies in the IT sector, the findings reveal that there exists a significant association between employee voice and organizational effectiveness. The results reflect a close association between employee engagement and organizational effectiveness too. However, no significant association was found between employee voice and organizational effectiveness. Employee engagement is found to mediate the relationship between employee voice and organizational effectiveness.

Research limitations/implications

The foremost limitation of the study is the sample group that is limited to employees working in IT companies in Bangalore city. The results cannot be generalized to the entire IT industry in India. Although attempts are made to eliminate common method bias, there are chances of an overstated relationship by common method variance that cannot be neglected completely.

Practical implications

The paper will provide a deep insight to the practitioners about the role of employee voice in the engagement of employees. It will also indicate to the managers how the effectiveness of an organization can be heightened by creating opportunities for employees to voice their opinion in the organization.

Originality/value

The present study indicated that though there is an association between the independent variable, employee voice, and the dependent variable, organizational effectiveness, the relationship becomes more significant in the presence of employee engagement between them.

Citation

Jha, N., Potnuru, R.K.G., Sareen, P. and Shaju, S. (2019), "Employee voice, engagement and organizational effectiveness: a mediated model", European Journal of Training and Development, Vol. 43 No. 7/8, pp. 699-718. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJTD-10-2018-0097