Silence is not Golden: The Effects of Prohibitive Voice on Customer Citizenship Behaviors

Abstract

This work analyzes the effects that service employee prohibitive voice behavior has on customer perceptions of the procedural justice received, and the consequent customer citizenship behaviors (CCB). Prohibitive voice expresses the service workers’ concern about existing or upcoming practices, events, or acts that may harm their service outcome. While this voice has been recognized as constructive and helpful to organizations, its roles regarding customer perceptions and CCB remain unexplored. Beginning with a brief review of the conceptual background of prohibitive voice, procedural justice and CCB, this paper proposes a model to test these relationships empirically. This study contributes to service research by applying the concept of “prohibitive voice” to service encounters. Implications for managing service encounters are also discussed herein.