Silence as a mediator between organizational factors and stress

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating role of silence as a link between punishment, communication opportunities and stress. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a survey among 1,015 highly skilled employees of South Korean companies using a self-administered instrument. In total, 748 questionnaires were received from the 1,015 participants. Of these, 61 questionnaires were incomplete and were discarded; the remaining 687 questionnaires were used in the analysis. Findings The results revealed that punishment and communication opportunities are significantly associated with silence. Silence showed a positive relationship with stress, and it mediates the relationship between punishment and stress. Meanwhile, findings indicate that silence does not mediate the link between communication opportunities and stress. Research limitations/implications This study investigates the unitary construct of silence. Therefore, the authors suggest future researchers examine the other forms of silence such as multidimensional construct of silence that focuses on the motives of individuals to be silent. Practical implications The study highlights the importance of establishing organizational ombudsman system, grievance procedures and employee management meetings to mitigate silence behavior. Moreover, the authors recommended management demonstrates their interest in shared information to avoid employee silence. Originality/value This study is the first to explore the mediating role of silence on the relationship between punishment and stress.

The Mediating Effect of Perceived Stress and Moderating Effect of Trust for the Relationship Between Employee Silence and Behavioral Outcomes

“…The consequences of employee silence in the work context have yet to be exhaustively examined (M. Knoll et al., 2016; Morrison, 2014). Building on Morrison and Milliken’s (2000) theoretical framework and studies linking employee silence to stress (Dedahanov, Lee, & Rhee, 2016; Dedahanov, Lee, Rhee, & Yusupov, 2016), the present study sought to extend employee silence literature by identifying perceived stress as an underlying mechanism explaining the detrimental effects of employees withholding their opinions on behavioral outcomes. In addition, the study tested interpersonal trust as a boundary condition for the relationship between silence and stress.…”

“…Findings from Dedahanov, Lee, Rhee, and Yusupov (2016) study indicated that employees restraining themselves from expression due to protecting their relationships and avoiding interpersonal conflict would experience discrepant beliefs which in turn results in elevated levels of stress. In another study, Dedahanov, Lee, and Rhee (2016) found that employees refraining from disagreement with their managers would experience increased levels of stress.…”

How Role Stress Mediates the Relationship Between Destructive Leadership and Employee Silence: The Moderating Role of Job Complexity

“…When employees experience destructive leadership, they have to spend more time and energy to struggle, survive, and preserve their limited resources, and thus they remain silent (Park et al, 2016). Because a leader is the recipient and disposer of the employees' opinions and voice within organisations, various motivations may cause individuals to rarely report or express their concerns and opinions on job-related issues to their supervisors (Dedahanov et al, 2016). From the perspective of COR theory (Hobfoll 1989), when subordinates are under a destructive leadership, they need to consume time and energy to cope with the stressful workplace event, instead of focusing on finding work problems and reporting them.…”

Employee Reticence: Development and Validation of Its Scale

“…In organizations, successful management requires continuous feedback and input from lessons learned, however, ES impedes improvements and corrections (Dedahanov et al, 2016). It is a matter of prime importance to mitigate ES.…”