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

Abstract

The Employee Voice, Communication, and Horizontal Solidarity Behavior in a Crisis Context—Model Inventory was developed by Prouska and colleagues in 2023 to explore organizational dynamics during periods of uncertainty. This measurement tool is theoretically grounded in Social Exchange Theory, focusing specifically on the interplay between managerial communication practices, the exercise of Employee Voice, and subsequent Horizontal Solidarity Behavior among peers. Horizontal Solidarity refers explicitly to employee-to-employee support.

The instrument’s core items were adapted from established scales by Penley & Hawkins (1985), Botero & Van Dyne (2009), and Sanders & Schyn (2006). The model’s structure and reliability were rigorously tested using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) based on data collected from employees within Greek Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). The study successfully reported findings related to the model’s factor structure and its high internal consistency reliability.

Keywords

Top-Down Employee Communication, Employee Voice, Horizontal Solidarity, Social Exchange Theory, Organizational Crisis, SME, Psychological Measurement.

Authors

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

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Purpose

The primary objective of this inventory is to serve as a comprehensive measurement tool designed to evaluate the intricate dynamics between key organizational behavioral constructs during adverse environments, typically defined as an Organizational Crisis. Specifically, the scale assesses the functional role of Employee Voice within the organizational setting.

It aims to quantify how the quality and frequency of Top-Down Organizational Communication influence employees’ willingness to voice their concerns and ideas, and subsequently, how these factors contribute to the emergence of Horizontal Solidarity Behavior (peer-to-peer support) within the workforce.

Construct

The model is designed as a three-factor structure, explicitly measuring distinct yet interrelated constructs relevant to organizational behavior in crisis contexts. The measurement focuses on the nexus of Interpersonal Communication, Solidarity Behavior, and the influence of Organizational Crises.

The primary subscales measured by the inventory are:

• Top-Down Employee Communication: Measures the clarity and frequency of information flow from management to employees regarding task duties and performance expectations.

• Employee Voice: Assesses the extent to which employees feel able and willing to express constructive ideas, opinions, and recommendations regarding work issues.

• Horizontal Solidarity: Quantifies the degree of mutual support and cooperation demonstrated between co-workers (employee-to-employee solidarity).

Validity

Specific data pertaining to established forms of validity (e.g., criterion, convergent, or discriminant validity beyond the factor structure) were not explicitly detailed in the provided abstract of the scale development paper. However, the use of Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) supports the construct validity of the proposed three-factor structure.

Reliability

The internal consistency reliability of the instrument was found to be strong across all measured constructs and in both employee samples utilized during the validation study. The standard measure of internal consistency, Cronbach’s alpha, consistently exceeded the robust threshold of 0.75 for every scale factor.

This finding suggests that the items within each subscale reliably measure their intended construct, providing assurance regarding the instrument’s stability and coherence.

Factor Analysis

The scale structure was validated through rigorous statistical testing, specifically utilizing Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The results strongly supported the hypothesized three-factor measurement model across both independent employee samples.

Key fit indices demonstrated excellent fit for the three-factor structure:

• Sample 1 Fit Statistics: χ² (74) = 152.034, p<0.001, CFI = 0.929, RMSEA = 0.078, SRMR = 0.052, AIC = 6,643.411.

• Sample 2 Fit Statistics: χ² (74) = 218.623, p<0.001, CFI = 0.917, RMSEA = 0.076, SRMR = 0.049, AIC = 13,552.780.

The authors formally compared this proposed model against two alternative, more parsimonious models: a two-factor model (combining employee communication and voice) and a single-factor model (evaluated via Harman’s single-factor test). The statistical evidence conclusively demonstrated that the distinct three-factor structure provided a superior and statistically robust fit compared to both alternative models, validating the separation of Top-Down Communication, Employee Voice, and Horizontal Solidarity as independent constructs.

Instrument

Test Type: Original Inventory/Questionnaire

Format: The instrument comprises 14 items in total. Responses are captured using varying Likert-type scales, specifically both 5-point and 7-point rating scales depending on the subscale being measured.

Language Available: English

Population Group: Human; Male; Female

Age Group: No data is Available

Population Details: The validation study respondents were employees recruited from Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) located in Greece.

Test Methodology: The development and validation process employed advanced psychometric techniques, including Test Reliability analysis, Internal Consistency checks, Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Measurement Model testing, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).

Keywords

Organizational Behavior, Human Resource Management, Employee Communication, Peer Support, Solidarity Behavior, Crisis Context.

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Authors

Rea Prouska (Correspondence Author):

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

• Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected] (London South Bank University, LSBU Business School)

• Correspondence Address: [email protected]

Margarita Nyfoudi: University of Birmingham, Birmingham Business School (ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8850-2045)

Alexandros Psychogios: Birmingham City University (ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8003-4758)

Leslie T. Szamosi: University of York Europe Campus, CITY College (ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0470-7671)

Adrian Wilkinson: Griffith University (ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7231-2861)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was developed and validated in 2023. Usage of the instrument is governed by a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0), allowing use for research and teaching purposes. The specific license link is: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

There is No Fee required for academic or teaching use of the instrument. However, commercial application of this inventory is explicitly prohibited.

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. DOI: 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 Inventory

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

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).

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).

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