Saying it without words: a qualitative study of employee voice in the Iranian building sector

Soltani, Ebrahim, Liao, Ying-Ying, Gholami, Abdul Khalegh, Iqbal, Abdullah (2018) Saying it without words: a qualitative study of employee voice in the Iranian building sector. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 29 (5). pp. 1015-1055. ISSN 0958-5192. E-ISSN 1466-4399. (doi:10.1080/09585192.2017.1369447)

Abstract

The primary aim of this study is to examine the nature, extent and workplace experiences of voice in an industry characterized by vulnerable workers with precarious term of employment. Using qualitative data on the practice of voice and participation among a sample of construction and building materials & products manufacturing firms, we found that the motivation of workers to fulfil their basic human needs take precedence over other needs such as voice and participation intention. Moreover, the extent to which employee voice was embedded in the organizational policies was found to rely primarily upon the need for compliance with minimum labor legislation and ISO/quality management factory regime. Our findings also suggest that the tools of its craft remained at the sole discretion of the management that was labeled by a majority of workers as ‘short-sighted and unenlightened’ orientation. The article concludes with the discussion of theoretical and practical implications of the findings and identification of a number of new avenues for future research.

Item Type:	Article
DOI/Identification number:	10.1080/09585192.2017.1369447
Uncontrolled keywords:	precarious employment, employee voice, ISO quality system, case study, construction industry, developing economies
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races
Divisions:	Faculties > Social Sciences > Kent Business School Faculties > Social Sciences > Kent Business School > Accounting and Finance Faculties > Social Sciences > Kent Business School > Industrial Relations/HRM
Depositing User:	Abdullah Iqbal
Date Deposited:	21 Aug 2017 11:58 UTC
Last Modified:	29 May 2019 19:23 UTC
Resource URI:	https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/62896 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)
Iqbal, Abdullah:	https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3013-1007