Extending Exit, Voice, and Loyalty: Managing Dissent in Public Lands Agencies

Abstract

This paper examines employee responses to dissatisfaction and dissent in four federal public lands agencies as they react to controversial policies. Guided by data from semi-structured interviews, it suggests new theoretical categories for describing dissenting behaviors along the dimensions of work engagement (e.g., high and low) and intent (e.g., destructive, neutral, or constructive). These dimensions combine to describe the specific behaviors of sabotage, neglect, high engaged duty, low engaged duty, passive helpfulness, and overachievement. This research also confirms and adds nuance to past work on employee dissent.