New Series, Vol. 2, No. 3
Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. organizations saw two consecutive years of record-breaking turnover with more than 47 million and more than 50 million American workers voluntarily exiting their organizations in 2021 and 2022, respectively. This unprecedented period of mass organizational exit was dubbed “The Great Resignation.” This study sought to investigate how employees who chose to remain with their organizations during this time of crisis engaged in dissent expression.
The authors employed Garner’s 2012 definitions of organizational dissent as “employee feedback that questions current organizational policy and/or practices,” and “communication that runs counter to supervisors’ or management’s expectations, but it can be expressed to supervisors, coworkers, or even friends and family members outside of the organization.” There are three forms of organizational dissent: articulated dissent, in which the dissent is expressed to someone in the organization with the power to resolve the issue of the dissenter (e.g., a supervisor); latent dissent, in which the dissent is expressed to lateral peers in the organization (e.g., a coworker); and displaced dissent, in which the dissent is expressed to an outside party, such as a family member or close friend.
Generally, the perceived effectiveness of the dissent expression has the power to positively or negatively influence the organization’s, and its members’, response to the dissent. Recent dissent scholarship has begun to explore dissent as an interactive, co-constructed communication process in which postjudgment, residual communication—or how the dissent is discussed among other organizational members after it is initially expressed—may enhance the overall effectiveness of the dissent and lead to positive organizational change, under ideal circumstances. Positive organizational change following effective dissent expression in turn leads to increased organizational commitment, satisfaction, and employee retention.
These authors examined dissent expression using semi-structured one-on-one interviews with 25 employees who chose to remain with their organizations through COVID-19 and had experienced an episode of dissent. Interviews were conducted between January and March 2023 and participants were 17 women and eight men, mostly racialized as white (23), with one Black and one Latina participant. Participants were between their mid-twenties to mid-fifties, employed at organizations for an average length of nine years, ranging in size from nine to 47,000 members. The authors noted the homogeneity of their sample and retroactive nature of the interviews as limitations of this study and analyzed their interview data using the phronetic iterative approach by which they repeatedly reviewed and reflected on their data to find patterns and gain deeper understanding.
Participants’ dissent expressions were triggered by experiences of frustration and inconsistency in their organizations. Interview data from participants whose dissent expression was triggered by frustration provided insight into fragility and complexity of organizational life during the COVID-19 crisis. One participant had initially expressed latent dissent, and based on residual communication that followed, elected to engage in articulated dissent, which was in turn supported and resulted in positive action by organizational leaders. Another participant expressed dissent due to frustration over some employees being called back to work in-person before others and, although the dissent was not acted upon, this participant felt “heard” and wanted to remain in the organization. Yet another participant felt that her, and others, repeated dissent expression remained unheard and demonstrated her organization’s inefficiency in responding to employee feedback. Generally, latent dissent expressions were at least cathartic for participants, even if they did not lead to desired change.
Participants also dissented in response to inconsistencies in organizational policies, particularly those that were directly relevant to the pandemic including failure to enforce vaccine mandates and social distancing policies, as well as presenteeism (i.e., attending work while sick) among organizational members. Like with the previous examples, many of these dissent expressions began as latent dissent, but because they were expressed in supportive environments, often became articulated dissent, again leading to positive organizational change in some cases, highlighting the interactive nature of dissent.
Although too little turnover can negatively affect organizations, high turnover significantly strains organizations and their members, in most cases. This study, among a growing number of qualitative investigations of organizational dissent, demonstrates the value in fostering organizational environments that encourage and are receptive to dissent, even when desired organizational change may not be possible. In short, encouraging organizational dissent, especially collectively in times of crisis, promotes organizational health, notably in the form of employee retention and reduced turnover, but also by providing organizational members with a sense of agency ultimately supporting their wellbeing.
Communication Currents Discussion Questions
- How can individuals at different levels of an organization (e.g., leaders, managers, employees) create an environment that encourages the expression of dissent? What are some practical ways organizations can support dissenters to ensure their concerns are not only expressed but also addressed? How can collective dissent strengthen the resilience of organizations during challenging times or crises?
- What risks or negative consequences might arise if an organization does not foster an environment that is receptive to dissent? What do you think happens when dissent is ignored, or even retaliated against, and how might that affect employee morale, satisfaction, or retention?
- Organizational dissent is traditionally studied using quantitative research methods, but more and more researchers are advocating for qualitative research on this topic. Why might qualitative methods, like interviews, provide unique insights into organizational dissent compared to quantitative approaches?
For additional suggestions about how to use this and other Communication Currents in the classroom, see: https://www.natcom.org/publications/communication-currents/integrating-communication-currents-classroom
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Meghan R. Cosgrove is a PhD Candidate and Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of Communication Studies at Colorado State University.
Elizabeth A. Williams is a Professor and the Chair of the Department of Communication Studies at Colorado State University.
Jennifer Linvill is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Technology Leadership & Innovation at Purdue University.
Autumn Buzzetta is a PhD Student and Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of Communication Studies at Colorado State University.
Emeline Ojeda-Hecht is a Post Doctoral Research Assistant in the Department of Technology Leadership & Innovation at Purdue University.
Abby Konkel is a Public Information and Relations Associate at CIG Public Relations.
This essay, by R. E. Purtell, translates the scholarly journal article, M. R. Cosgrove, E. A. Williams, J. Linvill, A. Buzzetta, E. Ojeda-Hecht, & A. Konkel. (2023). “It gave everybody a voice”: Dissent expression through COVID-19 and the Great Resignation. Review of Communication. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/15358593.2023.2248226
2025 National Communication Association
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