Employee perceptions of ethical listening in US organizations

Through a national online survey with 300 U.S. employees, this study revealed that nonmanagers and women are not satisfied with their organization's listening efforts. Using the lens of employee-organization relationship theory, problematic issues were identified related to transparency, communication climate, and employee silence. Some of the barriers to effective listening were limited ability to share insights from listening with supervisors and other employees, poor or absent training for collecting and analyzing intelligence that can be gained from listening, and employees who were unwilling to speak up due to perceptions that management was not sincerely interested in what they have to say. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Automated summary

A national online survey with 300 U.S. employees revealed dissatisfaction with listening efforts among nonmanagers and women, highlighting issues related to transparency, communication climate, and employee silence. Barriers to effective listening include limited ability to share insights, inadequate training for analyzing intelligence gained from listening, and employee reluctance to speak up due to perceived lack of interest from management. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.