Abstract
To set the stage for the chapters that follow in this book, we trace the development of the concepts of voice and silence in organizations. Specifically, we review three waves of research on voice and silence in organizations: The initial wave (1970s to mid-1980s), which focused primarily on conceptualizing voice; the second wave (mid-1980s to 2000) which focused on speaking-up behavior, with also limited attention to silence; and the current wave (2001 through the present day), which has examined the use of voice in highly nuanced fashion. In so doing, we review concepts tied specifically to voice and silence (e. g., the MUM effect and issue-selling) and also examine how the notions of voice and silence have been used in other literatures (e. g., organizational justice, organizational citizenship behavior, social ostracism, job withdrawal, and organizational learning). Finally, we synthesize the current status of voice and silence conceptualizations with respect to three dimensions: the content of the behavior, the target of the behavior, and the motive underlying the decision to remain silent or to speak up.