Exit, Voice and Loyalty

Hirschman maps out three possible courses of action for people (whether in the family, a social circle, a firm, an organisation, or a state): exit, voice, or loyalty. Loyalty refers to the choice or pressure to conform to existing structures, policies and practices. Voice is the act of criticizing aspects of the status quo in order to try and change it 'from the outside', while still remaining within the larger structures. Exit is the option of leaving in order to move to an alternative organisation or state.

Policies can be shaped and influenced through all three strategies of exit, voice or loyalty. Certain policies or policy domains may be more responsive to one of the three rather than the others. Thus the potential influence of each of the courses of action depends on the context. However, an organisation or policy field needs both voice and exit in order to change and stay healthy, and Hirschman ends with the suggestion that his book may hopefully encourage the strategies of exit and voice.