Workers’ resistance to managerial silencing: a comparative study of temporary agency and platform workers’ voice in a developing context

Research has overlooked management’s role in silencing workers, particularly in the context of physically and digitally mediated work. Given the rise of such work, it is imperative to study how workers experience and respond to managerial silencing. Based on 49 in-depth worker interviews in Nigeria, this study identifies key factors contributing to managerial silencing, including how external environmental perceptions and a lack of individual agency amplify this phenomenon. Platform workers employ collective organising and social media to voice their concerns, while agency workers rely on non-confrontational mechanisms and peer support. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.