Department of Business Administration, National Chengchi U., Taiwan
In employee voice research, managers are often conventionally framed as gatekeepers, wielding authority to determine the fate of voiced ideas. Drawing on an interview-based qualitative study with 31 managers, this study critically examines the significance and limitations of the gatekeeper metaphor while uncovering two alternative managerial roles that have been largely overlooked in the literature. Managers can function as liaisons, neutrally conveying voiced ideas to higher-level decision-makers, or as coauthors, actively collaborating with employees to refine and incorporate ideas into organizational initiatives. These findings delineate the boundary conditions of the gatekeeper metaphor and challenge assumptions about the interplay among voiced ideas, voicers, and managers within organizational hierarchies. Implications for both theory and practice are also discussed.
