Employees that have similar motivations to their managers are more likely to speak up at work, according to academics at Durham University Business School.
The researchers found that if employees feel well-aligned with their manager, they are in turn more likely to feel a connection to the organisation and its identity.
Dr Janey Zheng, professor of leadership led the research, alongside Michele Williams from the University of Iowa, and Christina Wang and Jian Liang, both from Tongji University.
They conducted two separate studies involving a collective sample of over 800 employee supervisors in Chinese companies. Participants were asked about their personal goals in their role, and how likely they would be to voice ideas, concerns and feedback.
They then matched employees’ responses with those of the leaders, concluding that those who have similar goals to their managers are also those who are more likely to speak up.
And although the shared level of motivation did not have to be high for this to be the case, the researchers found that if there was a gap – for example the employee had high motivation to achieve and their manager did not – then they would be less likely to speak up.
To make the most of this, organisations need to ensure that employees are made aware of managers’ goals, and consider pairing supervisors with staff who share similar goals, in order to create a collective voice.
Managers should be encouraged to share their goals from the outset, they added, or build cohesion through other team-building activities.
“Employees feeling as though they have a voice is highly important to an organisation,” said Dr Zheng.
“Not only does it mean new perspectives, ideas and insight for the wider team, which can improve the organisation, but also employees who feel they can share feedback safely are more likely to be happy in their roles.
“Therefore, aligning the motivations of managers and workers should be a key goal for any organisation.”
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