Assessing Disagreement Expressed to Management: Development of the Upward Dissent Scale

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to create a quantitative measure that would be capable of capturing variation in upward dissent expression. Two hundred twenty-five working adults completed a survey questionnaire that included an initial set of items. Exploratory factor analyses produced a reliable and multidimensional 20-item scale that measured upward dissent along four dimensions: prosocial, threatening resignation, circumvention, and repetition. Early evidence of measurement validity was generated as well, with dimensions relating as expected to upward influence, unfair treatment, and supervisor responsiveness.

Keywords:

• Dissent Expression
• Organizational Dissent
• Upward Dissent
• Upward Influence

Notes

Note. Pro = Prosocial, ThRs = Threatening Resignation, Circ = Circumvention, and Rep = Repetition.

Note. Pro = Prosocial, ThRs = Threatening Resignation, Circ = Circumvention, and Rep = Repetition. Significance indicate by **p < .01 one-tailed, *p < .05 one-tailed.

Note. All means differ significantly at the p < .001 level.

Note. Items 2, 5, 10, 13, and 20 = Prosocial; items 4, 7, 9, 14, and 19 = Threatening Resignation; items 1, 8, 11, 15, and 17 = Circumvention; and items 3, 6, 12, 16, and 18 = Repetition.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jeffrey W. Kassing

Jeffrey W. Kassing (PhD, Kent State University, 1997) is a Professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Arizona State University.

Wendy Kava

Wendy Kava (BA, Arizona State University, 2012) is the Director for West Region Operations for Experis.