Both theoretical and empirical work suggests employees will
respond to work-related stress in one of the four ways: exit, voice,
loyalty, and neglect (Farrell, 1983; Withey and Cooper, 1989). They
may leave an organization in response to work stress (exit); choose
to remain while actively trying to improve stressful conditions and
create ideas for improvement (voice); remain but respond passively
by accepting the status quo without making any improvements
(loyalty); or remain in the organization and minimize their efforts
while exhibiting passive withdrawal behaviors (neglect). As Farrell
(1983) suggests, exit and voice are active responses and therefore
constructive to an organization, whereas neglect and loyalty are
passive and destructive responses (Van Dyne and LePine, 1998).