Article: Voicing change: how big-five personality traits influence promotive and prohibitive voice behaviour Journal: International Journal of Environment, Workplace and Employment (IJEWE) 2025 Vol.9 No.2 pp.175 - 195 Abstract: In dynamic landscape of contemporary organisational settings, the harmonious interplay between employees' personalities and their vocal expression in the workplace has emerged as a pivotal area of investigation. Firms increasingly rely on employees to voice workplace problems and conflicts to increase efficiency and productivity. This change-oriented communication from the bottom up is known as employee voice behaviour. The study endeavours to delve into the intricacies of this symbiotic relationship, shedding light on the nexus between employees' personality and voice behaviour considering the self determination theory. The study aims to examine the relationship between specific personality type and voice behaviour (promotive and prohibitive). It has provided some answers about who is more (or less) likely to voice concerns with reference to specific Big-Five personality traits. Analysis of the collected data revealed that all personality traits except agreeableness were significantly related to prohibitive voice. In the case of promotive voice, neuroticism had an insignificant relationship, while other personality traits exerted a favourable and noteworthy influence on the expression of promotive voice. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Voicing change: how big-five personality traits influence promotive and prohibitive voice behaviour

Authors: Richa Banerjee; Abhijeet Singh Chauhan; Subeer Banerjee

Addresses: Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India ' Prestige Institute of Management and Research Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India ' G L Bajaj Institute of Technology and Management, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract: In dynamic landscape of contemporary organisational settings, the harmonious interplay between employees' personalities and their vocal expression in the workplace has emerged as a pivotal area of investigation. Firms increasingly rely on employees to voice workplace problems and conflicts to increase efficiency and productivity. This change-oriented communication from the bottom up is known as employee voice behaviour. The study endeavours to delve into the intricacies of this symbiotic relationship, shedding light on the nexus between employees' personality and voice behaviour considering the self determination theory. The study aims to examine the relationship between specific personality type and voice behaviour (promotive and prohibitive). It has provided some answers about who is more (or less) likely to voice concerns with reference to specific Big-Five personality traits. Analysis of the collected data revealed that all personality traits except agreeableness were significantly related to prohibitive voice. In the case of promotive voice, neuroticism had an insignificant relationship, while other personality traits exerted a favourable and noteworthy influence on the expression of promotive voice.

Keywords: big five personality; voice behaviour; prohibitive voice; promotive voice; employee voice; personality.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWE.2025.148777

International Journal of Environment, Workplace and Employment, 2025 Vol.9 No.2, pp.175 - 195

Received: 29 Apr 2025
Accepted: 09 Jul 2025
Published online: 23 Sep 2025 *

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Title: Voicing change: how big-five personality traits influence promotive and prohibitive voice behaviour

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