Examining the relationships between face concerns and dissent

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between face concerns, articulated (upward) dissent and organizational assimilation. In this study, articulated dissent was conceptualized as a type of dissent. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire was distributed to 370 working adults in the USA via Qualtrics. The questionnaire measured five face concerns, namely, self, other and mutual-face, articulated dissent and organizational assimilation. Before hypothesis testing, each measure was subjected to a confirmatory factor analysis to ensure that the hypothesized factor structure held. Pearson correlation and ordinary least squares estimation were used to test the hypotheses. Findings Conceptualizing dissent as a type of conflict, the findings of the current study are as follows: self-face and assimilation are positively correlated, other-face and assimilation are positively correlated, mutual-face and assimilation are positively correlated, assimilation and articulated dissent are positively correlated and organizational assimilation mediated the relationship between mutual-face and articulated dissent. Research limitations/implications Theoretically, the self-presentation process (face) is more critical as a person becomes part of an organization; it is through assimilating into an organization that members become familiar with the norms of an organization and more comfortable dissenting to their superiors (articulated dissent); and the more the authors integrate with the work colleagues the more the authors engage in mutual face-saving. Practical implications The results of this study demonstrate that self-presentation is critical as a person becomes part of an organization, particularly when it comes to managing conflict. Originality/value This is the first study to link facework with organizational dissent. The results add to the understanding of how face affects whether we choose to express this kind of conflict behavior.

Fear of Evaluation and Online Self-Disclosure on WeChat: Moderating Effects of Protective Face Orientation

“…The limitations of this study must be mentioned. First, according to previous research results, face is a complex, multidimensional concept that involves acquisitive face orientation (AFO) as well as other and mutual face (Chou, 1996 ; Croucher et al, 2020 ). However, to focus on the social situation of fear of evaluation, this study only preliminarily explored the influence of PFO on the relationship between fear of evaluation and online self-disclosure.…”

Cultural differences in ethics and values during conflict resolution: A disentangling approach

“…Seeking to summarize the literature, (Oyserman et al, 2002) meta-analyzed 36 studies and found that individualist cultures did, in fact, choose forcing strategies more than collectivist cultures. In more recent studies, Croucher et al (2020) found that Face values were positively correlated with assimilation and Wong et al (2018) similarly found that Collectivism was related to cooperative conflict management. Under the social motives framework, prosocial beliefs (i.e., relativism) should foster greater expressions of prosocial values (i.e., Face and Collectivism).…”

Articulated dissent and immediacy: a cross-national analysis of the effects of COVID-19 lockdowns

“…Ledbetter et al (2016) concluded “relational closeness developed from communication on phone calls, text messaging, e-mail, and Facebook depends upon how frequently the medium is used and how much the person enjoys using each of those media” (p. 155), indicating attitudes toward online communication predict media use. Davis (1985) explained with the technology acceptance model (TAM) that attitudes toward using technology are the direct influence of someone’s intention to use that technology. As such, Ledbetter et al ’s (2016) research on attitudes toward online communication aligns with TAM.…”

“…As such, Ledbetter et al ’s (2016) research on attitudes toward online communication aligns with TAM. TAM further explains that attitudes toward using technology are formed on the basis of how useful someone believes the technology will be and how easy it will be to use, indicating that individuals who find communicating through a particular online channel useful and simple to use, are likely to have a positive attitude toward it (Davis, 1985).…”