Employee Voice, Communication, and Horizontal Solidarity Behavior in a Crisis Context-Model Inventory

Abstract

The Employee Voice, Communication, and Horizontal Solidarity Behavior in a Crisis Context–Model, developed by Prouska and colleagues in 2023, was created to support a study that utilized the perspective of social exchange theory. The research aimed to investigate the relationships between top-down communication, employee voice, and horizontal solidarity behavior (SB), which refers to employee-to-employee solidarity. The items proposed for the model were adapted from earlier research conducted by Penley & Hawkins (1985), Botero & Van Dyne (2009), and Sanders & Schyn (2006). The model was evaluated through structural equation modelling and confirmatory factor analysis, with data gathered from employee samples working within small and medium-sized enterprises located in Greece. The study reported findings related to the model’s factor structure and its reliability.

Keywords

Top-Down Employee Communication; Employee Voice; Horizontal Solidarity; Social Exchange Theory; Crisis Context

Authors

Prouska, Rea; Nyfoudi, Margarita; Psychogios, Alexandros; Szamosi, Leslie T.; Wilkinson, Adrian

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Purpose

The objective of this measurement model is to provide a tool for assessing the function of employee voice as it pertains to organizational communication and horizontal solidarity behavior among employees.

Construct

The model measures the constructs of Solidarity Behavior, Interpersonal Communication, and Organizational Crises. The primary factors and subscales include Top-down employee communication, Employee voice, and Horizontal solidarity.

Validity

No data is Available

Reliability

The internal consistency for the model was evaluated, showing that Cronbach’s alpha values were above the 0.75 threshold for all constructs across both samples studied.

Factor Analysis

A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed, and its results indicated a good model fit for both Sample 1 (χ2 [74]=152.034, p<0.001, CFI = 0.929, RMSEA = 0.078, SRMR = 0.052, AIC = 6,643.411) and Sample 2 (χ2 [74] = 218.623, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.917, RMSEA = 0.076, SRMR = 0.049, AIC = 13,552.780). The proposed three-factor model was also compared against a two-factor model, where employee communication and voice were combined into a single factor, and a one-factor model (as per Harman’s single-factor test), where all three constructs were merged. The results from both studies demonstrated that the measurement model provided a superior fit compared to the two alternative models.

Instrument

• Test Type: Original Inventory/Questionnaire

• Format: The instrument consists of 14 items. Responses are captured using both 5-point and 7-point rating scales.

• Language Available: English

• Population Group: Human; Male; Female

• Age Group: No data is Available

• Population Details: The study’s respondents were employees of small- and medium-sized enterprises located in Greece.

• Test Methodology: The instrument’s development and validation involved Test Reliability; Internal Consistency; Factor Analysis; Confirmatory Factor Analysis; Measurement Model; and Structural Equation Modeling.

Keywords

Top-Down Employee Communication; Employee voice; Horizontal Solidarity; Social Exchange Theory; Crisis Context

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Authors including Author ocrid Identifier and Affiliation Email addresses Correspondence Address

• Rea Prouska

  • Author Identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6729-5964

  • Affiliation: London South Bank University, LSBU Business School

  • Email: [email protected]

  • Correspondence Address: [email protected]

• Margarita Nyfoudi

  • Author Identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8850-2045

  • Affiliation: University of Birmingham, Birmingham Business School

  • Email: No data is Available

• Alexandros Psychogios

  • Author Identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8003-4758

  • Affiliation: Birmingham City University

  • Email: No data is Available

• Leslie T. Szamosi

  • Author Identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0470-7671

  • Affiliation: University of York Europe Campus, CITY College

  • Email: No data is Available

• Adrian Wilkinson

  • Author Identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7231-2861

  • Affiliation: Griffith University

  • Email: No data is Available

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

• Test Year: 2023

• Permissions: May be used for Research/Teaching purposes under the Creative Commons license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

• Fee: No fee is required for its use.

• Commercial Use: This instrument is not for commercial use.

Reference’s

Prouska, R., Nyfoudi, M., Psychogios, A., Szamosi, L. T., & Wilkinson, A. (2023). Solidarity in action at a time of crisis: The role of employee voice in relation to communication and horizontal solidarity behaviour. British Journal of Management, 34(1), 91–110. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12598

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Items of the Employee Voice, Communication, and Horizontal Solidarity Behavior in a Crisis Context–Model

The 14 items of this measure are available for review in the appendix of the source reference article, on pages 109-110.

Top-down employee communication items – based on task and performance dimensions of communication scale by Penley and Hawkins (1985).

Instructions: How often have you been informed about:

Responses are rated on a 5-point scale from 1 (Not at all) to 5 (Very much).

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Employee voice items – developed by Botero & Van Dyne (2009).

Instructions: Reflecting on the last five* years, how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements:

Responses are rated on a 7-point scale from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 7 (Strongly Agree).

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Horizontal solidarity items – adapted from Sanders and Schyn (2006).

Instructions: Reflecting on the last five* years, how often have you been supporting your co-workers?

Responses are rated on a 7-point scale from 1 (Never) to 7 (Every day).

*since the beginning of the national economic crisis