(Solution) ICS Learn 5HR01 Evaluate the relationship between employee voice and organisational performance (AC 1.3)
Solution
Arguments Suggesting that Employee Voice Leads to Better Organisational Performance
Employee voice improves organisational performance by driving engagement, innovation, and productivity. According to Broderick (2024), employees are more likely to be committed and experience higher levels of job satisfaction if they feel heard, which leads to lower turnover.
In the public sector, where staff input can increase operational effectiveness, employees who are engaged contribute ideas that improve efficiency and service delivery. This is further supported by Busher (2019) who explains that open dialogue also facilitates decision making, providing management with insights from the frontline staff who directly encounter service users. For example, ensuring employee voice in the merger can assist with identifying challenges during integration, enabling leadership to address these concerns before they escalate. Lastly, Ranjan & Jhaveri (2025) assert that employee voice, through structured employee forums and representation mechanisms promote transparency, trust and a collaborative work culture and thereby contribute to organisational effectiveness and post-merger stability.
Arguments that Question the Relationship
Although employee voice is appreciated, its effect on performance is not always positive or guaranteed. This is explained by Wilson (2024) stating that in fast changing environments, excessive consultation can slow down decision making and result in inefficiencies. If not properly managed, employee voice mechanisms can lead to conflict rather than cohesion as different opinions may end up creating tensions between employees and leadership. Furthermore, Muller-Heyndyk (2024) pointed out that organisations with weak leadership may find it difficult to act upon employee feedback, which may result in frustration and reduced engagement. Failing to integrate employee feedback into meaningful action by new leadership could make employees doubt the effectiveness of their participation and begin to lose their trust and morale towards the organisation (CIPD, 2025a).
Judgements
Employee voice and organisational performance is a complex relationship with both benefits and challenges. On one hand,
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