Seeking social change from the inside out: a cross-country study on employee activism

Purpose – This study examines the emerging issue of employee activism from an organizational perspective while addressing several critical research needs in communication management theory and practice. Design/methodology/approach – The literature review provides a deeper understanding of employee activism, 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. Findings – Results detail five core themes: (1) the conceptualization of employee activism; (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 employee activism. The cross-national comparison highlights some commonalities across Italy and the U.S.A.: for example the prevalence of isolated voices, the mediating function of ERGs and unions and the role of an open communication climate. Practical implications – 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. Originality/value – While most studies on employee activism portray employees as obstacles, this study highlights more nuanced ways of managing employee activism, such as organization-centric or de-organizationcentric, mostly depending on the nature and forms of employee activism and the influencing factors involved. Keywords Employee activism, Insider activists, Socially relevant causes, Risk management, Crisis prevention, Corporate activism, CEO activism, Voice regulation, Employee dissent, Strategic communication management Paper type Research paper