Employee engagement, voice mechanisms and enterprise social network sites (ESNS)

Abstract

Effective organizational communication allowing a two-way flow of communication between subordinates and upper management can foster greater levels of engagement and productivity. This is often referred to as providing opportunities for direct employee "voice." Understanding the influence and impact of ICTs on employee voice and engagement are critical for the success of modern organizations. ICTs can enhance the reach, speed, and interaction among employees, and between employees and management. Observing the success of social technologies for personal use, employers have been eager to capitalize on social technologies to engage employees by implementing enterprise social network sites (ESNS). Whether ESNS will be an effective tool in enhancing voice and engagement, and what potential drawbacks exist for employees and firms have yet to be fully studied. This article presents a review of the literature on the intersection of employee voice, engagement, and ICTs, and suggests a research framework to guide study of ESNS for organizational employee voice.