Exploring relationships between employees' locus of control, individualism and collectivism orientation, and upward dissent message strategies

Abstract

This thesis investigated the relationships among individualism and collectivism, locus of control, and upward dissent. Students at a northwestern university were asked to complete a survey that measured the participants' levels of individualism and collectivism, locus of control orientation, and self-reported use of upward dissent message strategies. As predicted, internal locus of control and individualism were significant positive predictors of upward dissent. Unexpectedly, however, external locus of control and collectivism were also significant positive predictors of upward dissent. The research questions concerned the ability to predict the use of particular upward dissent message strategies. Use of each of the four strategies could be predicted from employees' locus of control and individualism and collectivism orientation.