Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of organizational transparency on employee’s voice with the mediating role of social responsibility. The research method was descriptive-correlative. The statistical population was all school principals in Zahedan city in the academic year 2021-2022 (N=380: 191 male, 189 famale). By stratified random sampling (based on sex and education level) 191 school principals (96 male and 95 female) were selected according to Cochran sampling, and studied as the sample through questionnaires of organizational transparency, social responsibility and employee voice. The Pearson correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling were used for data analysis by SPSS₂₁ and Smart PLS software. Based on the results, the direct effect of organizational transparency on employee voice, direct effect of organizational transparency on social responsibility, and direct effect social responsibility on employee voice was positive and significant. Also, the indirect effect of organizational transparency on employee voice mediated by social responsibility was positive and significant. Based of the results managers of educational organizations are advised to by sharing relevant, accurate, complete, valid information in a timely manner, involving employees in decision-making, receiving feedback, holding regular meetings of the teachers' council and being honest in expressing accurate and complete information and avoiding any secrecy, can increase organizational transparency, social responsibility and employee’s voice.
Extended abstract
Introduction
One of the important examples of organizational participation is the voice of employees. The voice of employees includes discussing problems with supervisors, providing solutions, suggestions and criticisms to human resources units, expressing ideas for changing a work policy or consulting with unions and organizational experts, which is done with the aim of improving the current situation of the organization and changing unfavorable conditions (Travis, Gomez & Mor Barak, 2011). An ineffective employee voice system reduces the effectiveness of organizational decisions and change processes by limiting employees' comments and preventing them from providing negative feedback (Rees, Alfes & Gatenby, 2013). Therefore, it is necessary to seek to identify the factors affecting the voice of the employees, and in this study, the role of two factors, organizational transparency and social responsibility, has been examined. Although, from a theoretical point of view, there is a connection between organizational transparency and the voice of employees, but few studies have investigated these two variables with the mediation of social responsibility, and there is less empirical evidence in the field of their relationship with each other. The researcher found that such research has not been done in the field of school administration. Therefore, investigating the effect of organizational transparency on the organizational voice of employees through the mediation of social responsibility can lead to the expansion of knowledge in the field of predictive factors of employee voice; and from a practical point of view, it can also provide the possibility of improving the participation of employees in schools. Based on this, the main question of the current research is whether organizational transparency has a positive and significant effect on the voice of employees with the mediating role of social responsibility.
Theoretical foundations
In the first stage, the voice of the employees is an expression of organizational dissatisfaction, the purpose of which is to correct the existing problems in the organization. In the second stage, the participation and cooperation of employees is aimed at confronting the illegal and illegitimate power of managers. The third goal of employee voice is to help managers to make decisions in order to improve the quality of work and productivity in the organization. In the end, the voice of employees is a mutual comment and mutual cooperation in the direction of developing the organization and achieving appropriate results in the long term (Anyango, Ojera & Ochieng, 2015).
Organizational transparency, which is the opposite of concealment, emphasizes the openness and accountability of organizations (Wehmeier & Raaz, 2012). Organizational transparency means public access to all information (either positive or negative) that can legally be published in an accurate, timely, balanced and unambiguous manner, in order to achieve the increase of the ability of reasoning, and public understanding, and accountability of organizations to their actions, policies, and approaches. A transparent organization is an organization where people inside and outside can obtain the information they need in order to form their opinions about the actions and processes within the organization (Lindstedt, C., & Naurin, 2010).
Social responsibility is an ethical theory in which individuals are accountable for fulfilling their civic duty, and the actions of an individual must benefit the whole of society. In this way, there must be a balance between economic growth and the welfare of society and the environment. If this equilibrium is maintained, then social responsibility is accomplished (Hunton & Norman, 2010).
Research Methodology
The research method was descriptive-correlative. The statistical population was all three levels of school principals in Zahedan city in the academic year 2021-2022 (N=380: 191 male, 189 famale). By stratified random sampling (based on sex and education level) 191 school principals (96 male and 95 female) were selected according to Cochran sampling, and studied as the sample through questionnaires of organizational transparency (Rawlins, 2008), social responsibility (Carroll, 1991), and employee voice (Hames, 2012).The Pearson correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling were used for data analysis by SPSS₂₁ and Smart PLS software.
Research Findings
Based on the findings, the correlation coefficient of organizational transparency with social responsibility and employee voice was 0.596 and 0.812, respectively, and the correlation coefficient between social responsibility and employee voice was 0.701, which were all positive and significant (p<0.01). According to the obtained model, the direct effect of organizational transparency on employee voice (t=7.705, β =0.612), the direct effect of organizational transparency on social responsibility (t=6.716, β =0.597), and the direct effect of social accountability on the voice of employees (t=4.547, β=0.336) was positive and significant. Also, to investigate the indirect effect of organizational transparency on the voice of employees with the mediation of social responsibility, Sobel test was used, which according to the value of indicators: a) the value of the path coefficient of the independent variable on the mediator variable a = 0.597, b) the value of the path coefficient of the mediator variable on the dependent variable b=0.336, c) Standard error of path of independent and mediator variable Sa=0.064, d) Standard error of path of dependent and mediator variable Sb=0.053; Z value obtained was equal to 5.24. Since this Z value was greater than the value of 2.58, the indirect effect of organizational transparency on employee voice with the mediation of social responsibility (β=0.200) was also positive and significant at a level less than 0.01.
 
Conclusion and Discussion
Overall, the findings of this study showed that organizational transparency has a positive and significant effect on employee voice both directly and indirectly through social responsibility. The results of studies of Ghanbari et al., (2015), Ghanbari & Moradi (2018), Nichols & Erakovich (2013), Walumbwa et al., (2011), Danaifard & Amirzadeh (2016), Armstrong (2006), Stojanovski et al., (2014), Keykha et al., (2020), Sepahvand & Ghorbani Oranji (2015), Bahmani & Farhanian (2019) supports this finding. According to the results of this research, it is suggested to the administers of the organizations that by sharing relevant, correct, complete and valid information in a timely manner, involving employees in decision-making, receiving feedback, holding regular teacher council meetings and being honest in expressing accurate and complete information and avoiding any kind of concealment, they can increase the organizational transparency of schools, social responsibility and, accordingly, the voice of the employees. Considering the implementation of the research on school principals in Zahedan city, caution should be taken in generalizing the results. Therefore, it is suggested to conduct such research in other educational regions of the country.