Examining the interactive effects of accountability, politics, and voice

Abstract

Purpose – Research has shown accountability can produce both positive and negative outcomes. Further, because of inherent environmental uncertainty, perceptions of organizational politics often interact with accountability to produce negative effects. However, using uncertainty management theory, the purpose of this paper is to argue that employees can use proactive voice to exercise control in the ambiguity of highly accountable and political environments. Design/methodology/approach – This two sample study of graduate school alumni (n=211) and insurance employees (n=186) explored the three-way interaction of felt accountability×politics perceptions×proactive voice on work performance, job satisfaction, and job tension. Findings – As hypothesized, high levels of felt accountability and politics were most strongly associated with favorable outcomes when coupled with increased voice behavior. Conversely, felt accountability and politics were related to negative outcomes in settings associated with low proactive voice. Results supported in Sample 1 were then constructively replicated in Sample 2. Practical implications – All employees are held accountable to some degree, and all work in potentially political settings. Often, these environmental features are dictated to employees, leaving only employee reactions in direct control. One possible response is voice. As demonstrated in the present research, employees who engage in proactive voice appear to exercise some degree of control over their environment, resulting in more positive outcomes than their less active counterparts. Originality/value – The present research extends understanding regarding the effects of accountability in organizations by demonstrating that contextual factors (e.g. politics) and individual difference variables (e.g. in levels of proactive voice) differentiate favorable vs unfavorable outcomes of accountability.

An accountability account: A review and synthesis of the theoretical and empirical research on felt accountability

“…Further, we found only one study that examined this relationship in organizational contexts. Hochwarter, Ellen, and Ferris () found that proactive voice ameliorated deleterious outcomes (such as job tension) when individuals felt highly accountable and had high perceptions of workplace politics. Just as with conflict, the implications of voice on accountability warrant further investigation.…”

Dark Side of Leadership in Educational Setting

“…Therefore, accountability perceptions are usually subjective depending upon personal standards rather than organizational norms or universal values [83]. Accountability is deemed essential for effective management of any organization [84].…”

“…Accountability, by no means is an agent for control to be used by supervisors to discipline workers [85]; it is needed more for managers and supervisors to know how they are supervising? Supervising does not mean policing around and it is observed when people are left to their personal discretion, some of them tend to use power according to their own understanding, using it to gain personal interests rather than focusing on larger good [83].…”

Driving Away the Bad Guys

“…For example, politics perceptions were related to positive outcomes when employees were aware of gamesmanship at work (Ferris, Russ, & Fandt, 1989). Heightened politics were viewed as favorable when accountability and voice were high (Hochwarter, Ellen, & Ferris, 2014). Yen (2015) reported that salespersons reporting high levels of politics perceptions were the highest performers as well as the most intrinsically motivated.…”