Expatriate voice: The effects of nationality and social status

Abstract

The expression of voice is valuable for organisations and individuals but most of what we know about voice is drawn from western contexts. This paper focuses on why, how and on what issues expatriates speak up. Examining voice in the multinational context of the United Arab Emirates allows us to develop a more in-depth understanding of national, organisational, and individual factors that influence voice. Interviews with 71 expatriates and 29 host country nationals show that expatriates' social status influences their attitude and behaviour towards voice and that informal structures and social networks in organisations are important in understanding expatriates' voice behaviours. The overlapping categories of expatriates from non-western countries and expatriates in low-status jobs take a wider view of their situation and are as a result less likely to use voice in the workplace.