How Social Class Shapes Organizational Voice

In this research, I investigate an under-appreciated antecedent of organizational voice – one’s social class background. Drawing on social learning theory and the social cognitive theory of social class, I propose a model of the effect of childhood social class on organizational voice. Employing both survey and experimental methods, I then test my hypotheses that social class background positively predicts employees’ willingness to exercise voice at work by shaping employees’ implicit theories of voice safety. Results of a survey, vignette experiment, and two behavioral studies revealed no support for my main predictions, though post-hoc analyses revealed the positive effects of current social class on voice suggesting over time markers of current social class may emerge to be more important predictors of organizational voice.