Enhancing Employee Voice and Inclusion Through Inclusive Leadership in Public Sector Organizations

• Author: Tho Alang,Pauline Stanton,Mark Rose
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/00910260221085583
• Published date: 01 September 2022
• Date: 01 September 2022
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/00910260221085583

Public Personnel Management

2022, Vol. 51(3) 309 –329

© The Author(s) 2022

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DOI: 10.1177/00910260221085583

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Article

Enhancing Employee Voice

and Inclusion Through

Inclusive Leadership in Public

Sector Organizations

Tho Alang1,2 , Pauline Stanton3, and Mark Rose4

Abstract

This article explores the impact of inclusive leadership behaviors on Indigenous voice

and the perception of workplace inclusion by Indigenous employees in Vietnam

public agencies. Drawing from qualitative research with managers and Indigenous

employees in three public organizations, we found that, first, inclusive leadership

behaviors promoted workplace diversity by supporting Indigenous presence through

recruitment; training and development opportunities; and promotion into decision

making roles. Second, inclusive leadership facilitated Indigenous belongingness by

accepting Indigenous employees as important group members, and sympathizing

with their challenges. Third, in the context of a Confucian and collectivist-influenced

country, inclusive leadership played a crucial role in valuing Indigenous uniqueness by

encouraging their voice over their work; valuing their contributions; and respecting

their differences. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Keywords

inclusive leadership, Indigenous, employee voice, Confucianism, inclusion

Introduction

Employee voice (EV) is understood as practices giving employees opportunities to

have a say and influence over managerial decision-making in organizations (Wilkinson

1Ho Chi Minh City International University, Vietnam

2Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

3RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

4Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia

Corresponding Author:

Tho Alang, School of Business, Ho Chi Minh City International University, Quarter 6, Linh Trung Ward,

Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam.

Email: alangtho@hcmiu.edu.vn

1085583PPMXXX10.1177/00910260221085583Public Personnel ManagementAlang et al.

research-article2022

310 Public Personnel Management 51(3)

et al., 2014). EV practices and occurrence are motivated by external and internal fac-

tors (Townsend et al., 2020). Studies demonstrate that leadership behavior is an inter-

nal factor that is often crucial in enabling employees to express their voice (Ingraham

& Getha-Taylor, 2004; Ng, 2008; Tang et al., 2015). A range of leadership styles have

been identified that impact on employees in different ways (Chen et al., 2018; Liggans

et al., 2019; van Dick et al., 2018; Wang et al., 2016; Weiss et al., 2018). Leadership

styles are also contextual and in a diverse workplace, inclusive leadership is required

to capture all voices (Randel et al., 2018). Scholars argue that inclusive leadership is a

key element in addressing the challenges of diversity in that it facilitates employees’

perceptions of belonging while maintaining their uniqueness (Sabharwal, 2014; Shore

et al., 2011; Weiss et al., 2018). Roberson (2006) claims that inclusive leadership can

remove the obstacles employees face to fully participate and contribute to their orga-

nization. Moreover, if employees’ perspectives are valued, their self-esteem is

enhanced (Sabharwal, 2014). However, while there is increasing research into inclu-

sive leadership, its effect on voice from marginalized groups is still unknown (Shore

et al., 2018; Weiss et al., 2018). This is particularly the case in Confucian cultures

where the diversity of voices is often ignored (Alang et al., 2020). Townsend et al.

(2020) call for more research on the motivation of EV. Also, Shore et al. (2018) sug-

gest the need for studies exploring how inclusive leadership behaviors impact on mar-

ginalized employees’ perceptions of workplace inclusion. In this article, we take up

these challenges by focusing on Indigenous employees in public sector organizations

in Vietnam.

There are studies that focus on Indigenous management practices and leadership

behaviors (Eyong, 2017; Haar & Brougham, 2011; Henry & Wolfgramm, 2018; Mika

& O’Sullivan, 2014; Ruwhiu & Elkin, 2016). Most Indigenous research, however, is

conducted in developed countries where the Indigenous population has undergone

Western colonization (e.g., Mika & O’Sullivan, 2014; Ruwhiu & Elkin, 2016) and has

responded with calls for sovereignty over their land and voice within the nation. In

Vietnam, a developing country, Indigenous people are not officially acknowledged as

Indigenous by the government due to political and historical reasons (The International

Work Group for Indigenous Affairs [IWGIA], 2018). Instead, they are described as

ethnic minority groups, despite the fact that many of these minorities are tribes who

are native to their land (Gupta, 2005; IWGIA, 2018). This is particularly true of ethnic

groups (i.e., Montagnards people) in the Central Highlands region (Gupta, 2005;

IWGIA, 2018) and in this article, we use the term Indigenous to identify these tribes.

The Vietnamese government has introduced policies to increase the workforce partici-

pation of its Indigenous people in the public sector; however, there is a dearth of

Indigenous workplace-based research that explores the impact of these policies on

voice practices for these Indigenous employees (Alang et al., 2020; Badiani et al.,

2012). According to Barry and Wilkinson (2016), EV not only benefits an organiza-

tion, but also contributes to individual well-being and the quality of a country’s democ-

racy. Also, leadership research in Vietnam’s public sector indicates that Vietnamese

leadership cultures are influenced by Confucianism and collectivism and a high power

distance context, which may shape an organization’s voice practices and employees’