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Implicit Voice Theories: Taken-for-Granted Rules of Self-Censorship at Work

Detert · Voice & Silence · Academy of Management Journal · 2011 · Open access

Introduced the concept of 'implicit voice theories' — taken-for-granted rules people use to decide whether speaking up is safe or worthwhile, without consciously deliberating. Showed that these rules operate below awareness and are shaped by early socialisation, explaining why voice is suppressed even in objectively safe environments.

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