Unsatisfactory Working Conditions and Voice: An Analysis Involving Employees in Sweden

Bengt Furåker

DOI: 10.2190/WR.14.2.c

Abstract

From the classic distinction by Albert Hirschman between exit, voice, and loyalty, we can infer that employees who are dissatisfied with their working conditions have two "active" options: they can either leave their employer or raise their voices against conditions they consider to be bad. In this article—based on a 2006 survey among employees in Sweden—I ask to what extent dissatisfied workers raise their voices and, if they do so, which ways do they choose. Another task is to explore how willingness to leave the job, loyalty, and other factors influence what people do. Also, I discuss whether various forms of voice can be characterized as collective or as individual. The available data show that employees in Sweden most often speak to managers about workplace failings. Other common steps entail talking to workmates and raising issues at staff meetings, while only 10% call in union representatives. Most people do more than one thing, and complaints are thus likely to be spread among the workers. Many factors are important in employees' decisions as to which kinds of action they choose. Those who want to switch to another workplace have a greater propensity to bring up problems with workmates and to contact union representatives, whereas strong loyalty or organizational commitment is associated with a lesser propensity to take these actions. On the other hand, loyalty has no significant effects on people's inclination to speak to managers or to discuss issues at staff meetings. In these cases, another factor becomes the most crucial: fear of criticizing unsatisfactory working conditions. Employees who are afraid of expressing their disapproval are less inclined to talk to managers and to bring up complaints at staff meetings.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.