Anonymous Communication in Organizations

Abstract

The two exploratory studies reported here examine use and appropriateness of anonymous communication in the workplace and how they relate to key demographic and organizational variables. In Study 1, use of traditional suggestion boxes, written feedback, and caller-identification blocking were the three most used forms of anonymous communication. In addition, open-ended responses suggested several situations and explanations for anonymity appropriateness. Study 2 identified six types of situations that differ in the extent to which anonymous organizational communication is appropriate (from highest to lowest): organizational surveys and/or assessments, formal evaluations, use of technology, informal evaluations, general use, and firing. In both studies, anonymity use and appropriateness are significantly related to the quality of relationships with key others at work.

How Anonymity and Visibility Affordances Influence Employees’ Decisions About Voicing Workplace Concerns

“…Anonymity refers to “the degree to which a communicator perceives the message source as unknown or unspecified” (Scott, 1998, p. 387). The afforded anonymity of a communication channel is, therefore, defined as the degree to which the communication channel is perceived to allow users’ identities to remain unrevealed during the communication process (Scott, 1998; Scott & Rains, 2005). New communication technologies create both challenges and opportunities for workers (Rains & Scott, 2007).…”

“…Anonymous communication methods are, nevertheless, common in many organizations. Many employees have used one of the following anonymous communication systems: unidentified suggestion box (35.9%), caller-identification blocking phone calls (35.7%), anonymous written feedback (31%), or anonymous phone calls (28.2%; Scott & Rains, 2005).…”

“…Providing employees anonymity when voicing their concerns to upper management reduces employees’ perceived risks of upward communication (Kaplan et al, 2009). Because using anonymous communication channels disconnects their identities from the message they want to communicate, anonymity helps reduce employees’ exposure to potential negative consequences of voice, such as being labeled as troublemakers (Milliken et al, 2003; Scott & Rains, 2005). In the field of auditing and accounting, for example, anonymous reporting channels increased fraud reporting behaviors in organizations because anonymity reduces the perceived personal cost of voicing (Gao, Greenberg, & Wong-On-Wing, 2015; Johansson & Carey, 2016).…”

The Ethical Algorithm: Journalist/Whistleblower Relationships Explored Through the Lens of Social Exchange

“…In principle, these forms of communication, a component of organizational ethics, are used to avoid retribution and confrontation while promoting honesty within organizations. These practices are implemented in a variety of ways depending on the organization’s corporate structure (King, 1999; Scott & Rains, 2016). In fact, companies that implement and promote internal reporting procedures show significant decreases in external whistleblowing (Barnett, Cochran, & Taylor, 1993).…”

A collaborative-based approach for avoiding traffic analysis and assuring data integrity in anonymous systems

“…Hence, concealing who is sending the information is sometimes much more important than revealing the information itself. In order to conceal the sender's identity, different implementations have proven successful -one of which is the invention of anonymous networks (Scott, 2005). Anonymous networks go beyond transferring information over the Internet, whereby theoretically, the implementations can be replicated on different communication technologies such as mobile devices and wireless networks.…”