Technical Anonymity and Employees’ Willingness to Speak Up: Influences of Voice Solicitation, General Timeliness, and Psychological Safety

Abstract

Purpose: In recent years, many enterprises have established anonymous online forums to encourage employees to speak up. However, questions remain regarding whether these anonymous communication channels work. This research explores how and when technical anonymity influences employees’ willingness to speak up.Design/methodology/approach: Via an experimental method (study 1), we investigated the effects of technical anonymity and the moderating effects of voice solicitation. Via an experimental method (study 2), we examined the effects of technical anonymity and the moderating effects of time delay.Findings: The results of two studies consistently indicate that employees are more willing to speak up in the anonymous condition than in the nonanonymous condition and that psychological safety mediates the relationship between technical anonymity and employees’ willingness to speak up. In addition, we identify the boundary conditions of the effects of technical anonymity. In the prohibitive voice solicitation condition and in the delay condition, the above effects exist.Originality/value: First, we contribute to the literature on organizational media affordance by examining the effects of the anonymity affordance. Second, we contribute to the literature on organizational anonymity communication by exploring the impacts of technical anonymity on employees’ willingness to speak up in the workplace. Third, we extend the literature on employee voice by theorizing and demonstrating the moderating roles of two novel variables.