Seeking Social Change from the Inside Out: A Cross-Country Study on Employee Activism

Silvia Ravazzani, Yan Jin, Sara Conti, Anna Rachwalski (undergraduate student), and Sonny Robinson (undergraduate alum). (Forthcoming). "Seeking Social Change from the Inside Out: A Cross-Country Study on Employee Activism". Journal of Communication Management.

Abstract: This study examines the emerging issue of employee activism (EA) from an organizational perspective while addressing several critical research needs in communication management theory and practice. The literature review provides a deeper understanding of EA, its influencing factors, its various forms and tactics, and how it can be addressed from the perspective of communication practitioners. Empirically, the article presents the results of a cross-national qualitative study, including Italy and the U.S.A., based on 20 qualitative interviews with corporate communications directors and senior internal communications executives. Results detail five core themes: 1) the conceptualization of EA; 2) the national cultural, organizational and individual factors that influence it; 3) the forms of activism; 4) the tactics used; 5) the elements related to the communication management of EA. The cross-national comparison highlights some commonalities across Italy and the U.S.A.: e.g. the prevalence of isolated voices, the mediating function of ERGs and unions, and the role of an open communication climate. While most studies on employee activism portray employees as obstacles, this study highlights more nuanced ways of managing EA, such as organization-centric or de-organization-centric, mostly depending on the nature and forms of EA and the influencing factors involved. This study offers implications for organizations and their strategic communication management concerning risk management and communication to deal with dysfunctional employee activism, internal communication and voice climate; alignment of employee, corporate, and CEO activism to realize a truly purpose-driven organization.