Antecedents of the Voice and Silence of Federal Public Sector Workers

Authors

Abstract

The concepts of worker voice and silence can be understood as the manifestation or discretionary withholding of information aimed at organizational improvement, and in Brazil, there is little research in the public sector. Thus, this paper analyzes the antecedents that lead federal public servants and employees to manifest behaviors of voice and silence at work. An exploratory research was conducted, with a qualitative approach, through interviews with 16 workers. Content analysis was used. The results showed that the type of management plays a central role in the worker’s decision to speak or remain silent about work issues. The presence of other antecedents of voice and silence was also verified, such as resignation, fear of retaliation, support or dissuasion from colleagues and personality. The results of the study contribute to increasing knowledge on the topic of worker voice and silence in the national context, especially in public organizations.

Keywords

Voice, Public Administration, Silence, Organizational Behavior

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Author Biographies

Débora Bruna Alves Almeida, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (Ufersa)

Doutora em Administração pela USCS, Mestra em Administração Pública pela UFCG, Bacharela em Administração Pública pela UFC e em Agronomia pelo IFCE. Docente no Departamento de Ciências Sociais e Aplicadas e Humanas da Ufersa.

Thales Fabricio da Costa e Silva, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG)

Doutor em Administração pela USCS, Mestre em Administração Pública pela UFCG, Bacharel em Administração pela Unopar e em Psicologia pela UNP. Psicólogo na UFCG e docente no Programa de Mestrado Profissional em Administração Pública (PROFIAP) da UFCG.

Published

2024-12-20

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