Speaking up and out: examining the predictors of prohibitive voice among teachers

ABSTRACT Teachers routinely face dissatisfying work conditions and may express their frustrations to their peers. This study explores the extent to which causal attributions of work-related doubt, occupational commitment, and intention to quit influence teachers’ willingness to voice their concerns about their occupation. Through a survey of 210 teachers in the United States, we found that teachers with a personal control orientation were less likely to express prohibitive voice. Moreover, both occupational commitment and intention to quit positively predicted teachers’ prohibitive voice. Our findings provide new insights into how teachers may use voice as a communication strategy to defend their occupation from potential harms. Implications and limitations of the study are further discussed.