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The relationship between management vs nonmanagement status and women employees’ dissent expression in US organizations

Deepa Oommen (Department of Communication and Media, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Minnesota, USA)

International Journal of Conflict Management

ISSN: 1044-4068

Article publication date: 28 June 2024

37

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to test whether a) differences existed in dissent expression between women in management and nonmanagement positions and b) the differences varied between white women and women of color.

Design/methodology/approach

Responses from 1,011 employed women in the US were analyzed for the study.

Findings

Results revealed that in management vs nonmanagement status, women employees were more likely to express upward dissent and employ dissent strategies that signified both influence and lack of influence in organizations. However, race-based differences existed in the expressions of some forms of dissent.

Originality/value

Research has shown that employees in management vs nonmanagement status express more upward dissent and employ dissent strategies that signify influence in organizations. However, can this be the case for women employees? Although previous research has explored dissent expression extensively in US organizations, women employees' dissent expression has not received much attention in social-scientific studies. In these studies, gender and race were treated as mere demographic variables to describe sample compositions despite these variables being influential factors in organizational life. Through an intersectional approach to identities, this study’s findings call upon organizations to address iniquities that limit dissent expression based on identity hierarchies.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Faculty Research Grant, and the Nadine B. Andreas Summer Creative or Research Faculty Award of the Department of Communication and Media (formerly Department of Communication Studies), Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Citation

Oommen, D. (2024), "The relationship between management vs nonmanagement status and women employees’ dissent expression in US organizations", International Journal of Conflict Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCMA-10-2023-0216

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited

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