Organizational justice and employee megaphoning in the UAE: the role of employee–organization relationship

Abstract

Purpose – While Western studies have demonstrated a strong relationship between employee megaphoning (EM, employee voice) and organizational justice (OJ), non-Western research on this is limited. This study aims to assess the internal information-sharing behaviors of employees in the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) travel and tourism industry, focusing on positive employee megaphoning internally (PEMI) and its association with perceptions of OJ. The employee–organization relationship (EOR) is also explored as a mediator between various dimensions of OJ and PEMI. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was administered to 600 full-time employees over four months, starting May 2023, following a rigorous sampling procedure. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the study hypotheses. Findings – PEMI was strongly related to OJ, meaning employees who perceived their organization as just and fair tended to speak positively about it. In addition, EOR played a mediating role in the influence of OJ on PEMI. Originality/value – The correlation between OJ and internal megaphoning among employees in the UAE is explored, elucidating how EOR mediates OJ and employees’ internal megaphoning in non-Western countries. The findings provide theoretical and practical implications for organizations.

Keywords Communication, Employee-organization relationship, Organizational justice, Positive employee megaphoning internally, UAE