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Articulated dissent and immediacy: a cross-national analysis of the effects of COVID-19 lockdowns

Stephen Michael Croucher (School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand and National Research University, Higher School of Economics, Perm, Russia)
Stephanie Kelly (Department of Business Information Systems and Analytics, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA)
Chen Hui (School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand)
Kenneth J. Rocker (School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand)
Joanna Cullinane (Massey Business School, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand)
Dini Homsey (Marketing Department, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, Oklahoma, USA)
George Guoyu Ding (School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand)
Thao Nguyen (School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand)
Kirsty Jane Anderson (School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand)
Malcolm Green (School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand)
Doug Ashwell (School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand)
Malcolm Wright (School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand)
Nitha Palakshappa (School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand)

International Journal of Conflict Management

ISSN: 1044-4068

Article publication date: 20 September 2021

Issue publication date: 15 March 2022

318

Abstract

Purpose

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study aims to explore how working remotely might impact the superior–subordinate relationship. Specifically, this study examines how immediacy explains articulated dissent, considers how an individual’s attitudes toward online communication predicts immediacy and articulated dissent and compares these relationships in England, Australia and the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

Three nations were examined: Australia, England and the USA (n = 1,776). Surveys included demographic questions and the following measures: organizational dissent scale, perceived immediacy measure, computer-mediated immediate behaviors measure and measure of online communication attitude.

Findings

The results reveal supervisors’ computer-mediated immediate behaviors and perceived immediacy both positively predict dissent. Some aspects of online communication attitudes positively predict computer-mediated immediate behaviors and perceived immediacy. In addition, attitudes toward online communication positively predict dissent. National culture influences some of these relationships; in each case the effects were substantively larger for the USA when compared to the other nations.

Originality/value

This study is the first to cross-culturally analyze dissent and immediacy. In addition, this study considers the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic influences the superior–subordinate relationship.

Keywords

Citation

Croucher, S.M., Kelly, S., Hui, C., Rocker, K.J., Cullinane, J., Homsey, D., Ding, G.G., Nguyen, T., Anderson, K.J., Green, M., Ashwell, D., Wright, M. and Palakshappa, N. (2022), "Articulated dissent and immediacy: a cross-national analysis of the effects of COVID-19 lockdowns", International Journal of Conflict Management, Vol. 33 No. 2, pp. 181-202. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCMA-04-2021-0062

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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