Perceptions of possessing an information advantage over peers on a focal issue may play a critical role in employees’ decisions to engage in voice behavior. However, the nature of this relationship remains theoretically and empirically underexplored. This study aims to understand when and how this advantage impacts employee voice.
We conducted two studies to test our hypotheses. Study 1 used an event-contingent design to establish the relationship between information advantage and voice behavior. Study 2 employed an experimental design to replicate this effect and provide causal evidence for the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions.
We found that employees with an information advantage over their peers are more likely to engage in voice behavior. Furthermore, the underlying motivational mechanism is contingent on team climate. When the climate is cooperative, this effect is driven by prosocial intentions; when competitive, it is driven by pro-self intentions.
Integrating the literature on information asymmetry with the theory of planned behavior, we introduce information advantage as a critical antecedent to voice and theorize its contingent motivational pathways. By highlighting the role of voice intentions as motivational mechanisms and the situational influence of team climate, we provide a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of the voice decision process.
