Employee Silence at Work Place – a Literature Review

1Hyma M Research Scholar Kuriakose Gregorios College Pampady, Kottayam, Kerala, India

2Dr. Gangadathan Nair D Supervising Guide, Associate Professor S.V.R N.S.S College, Vazhoor, Kottayam Kerala, India.

“Silence is talk too”

ABSTRACT

Silence is an indication of one’s attitude towards the problem or situation at hand. The main purpose of this study is to examine the various research findings on employee silence in the past and to develop a conceptual model on the reasons why employees remain silent at workplace. The causes of employee silence are found to be silence of peer employees, workplace bullying, effort to sustain valued relationships, organisational politics, negative organisational climate and fear of exploitation and isolation. This paper helps to find out the contradictions in the studies of different researchers and catch out the research gaps existing in this area of research. The review of previous literatures uncovered the indefinite usage of the terms ‘organisational silence’ and ‘employee silence’. There appears to be a weak link between silence behaviour and the profession. Also, the findings related to the link between organisational silence and organisational commitment is found as contradicting.

Index Terms: Employee Silence, Organisational Silence and Organisational Commitment

INTRODUCTION

The concept of employee silence became popular in early 2000s after publishing the work of Morrison and Milliken with organisational silence as its theme. Pinder and Harlos define employee silence as, “the withholding of any form of genuine expression about the individual’s behavioural, cognitive and/or affective evaluations of his or her organisational circumstance to persons who are perceived to be capable of effecting change or redress”. Silence can either indicate that the person is completely satisfied or is not happy at all with the situation but is uncertain of how he or she can bring about a change to that. It can also indicate an indifferent attitude which arises when the employees are excluded from the decision making process for long enough to make them feel that their opinions or thoughts do not count. Usually the body language reveals what is hidden beneath the silence.

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© 2019 JETIR June 2019, Volume 6, Issue 6 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) The employees working in an organisation remain silent either intentionally or unintentionally with different motives. Employee silence can be viewed from an individual’s perspective, team perspective or organisational perspective. Since this concept has become popular only after 2000s, only a few studies are conducted in this area. In order to explore more in this area, it is important for the researchers to review the literatures available at present. This study throws light in to the researchers who have taken this aspect as their area of research.

LITERATURE REVIEW

TABLE 1 – REVIEW OF SELECTED STUDIES RELATED TO EMPLOYEE SILENCE Sl Authors Year Title Theme Findings No : 1. Milliken J 2003 An In this study, the The findings of the F., Exploratory authors directly study revealed that the Morrison Study On interviewed 40 most frequently W E., Employee employees to quoted reason for Hewlin F Silence : Issues understand why they employees remaining P That remain silent about the silent was the fear of Employees’ issues those concern attaching a negative Don’t them in the label which Communicate organisation. consequently destroys Upward And priceless Why relationships. Also the decision to remain silent is related to the decisions made by the peer employees. 2. Vakola 2005 Antecedents A study was The result of Maria., And conducted among 677 correlation and Bouradas Consequences employees to analyse regression analysis Dimitris Of the effect of three reveals that the silence Organisational dimensions of silence of employees are Silence: An (Top management estimated by the Empirical attitude to silence, attitude of top Investigation supervisor’s attitude management towards to silence and employee silence, communication supervisor’s attitude opportunities) on to silence and employee silence communication behaviour, job opportunities. Also, it satisfaction and is found in the study organisational that these three commitment. dimensions are linked to job satisfaction and organisational commitment.

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© 2019 JETIR June 2019, Volume 6, Issue 6 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) 3. Ehtiyar 2008 Organizational This paper examines It is observed that the Ruya.,Yan Silence: A the prevailing attitude attitude of majority of ardag survey on towards silence employees surveyed Melek employees climate of employees was neutral and they working in a and managers in neither had the chain hotel organizations and also discomfort nor a analyses the greater urge to speak relationship among up. It was also found silence and that the employees organisational surveyed had a commitment using medium level of factor analysis. commitment to the organisation. 4. Zehir 2011 The In this study, the The results of the Cemal., association authors conducted a study revealed that all Erdogan between survey among 714 the factors (Employee Ebru organizational people working in Silence, Ethical silence and national and Leadership, ethical multinational Employee leadership companies in Turkey, Performance and through to examine whether Employee Voice) employee there exists any taken for the study performance relation between are positively related. organisational silence They also constructed and ethical leadership a conceptual model behaviour. Factor showing the relation analysis, correlation and found that the and regression performance of analysis were used in employees is affected this study. by leadership behaviours. 5. Schlosser 2012 Hearing voice This study is The study indicates Francine., and silence conducted to identify that the factors that Zolin during the factors that help increase prosocial Roxanne stressful the supervisors to silence are supervisor economic catch prosocial silence tension and trust in times and to observe employees. The factor defensive silence by that increases constructing a five defensive silence is point scale. supervisor tension while the factors that reduces defensive silence are confederation of employees and trust in employees. This is an indication that voice and silence are statistically independent. 6. Kutanis 2014 Emotional In this paper, the The study concluded Ozen R., Intelligence, authors have surveyed that there is a Ardic K., Fear Based 157 health personnel negative Uslu O., Silence And working in a dental inconsiderable link Karakiraz Trust To clinic in order to find between emotional A Manager: A out the inter intelligence and fear- Case Study relationships between based silence and a JETIR1907252 Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) www.jetir.org 760

© 2019 JETIR June 2019, Volume 6, Issue 6 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) emotional positive irrelevant intelligence, trust to relation between managers and fear- employees’ trust to based silence. managers and fear- based silence. 7. Eriguc 2014 The Causes This paper is based on It was found in the Gulsun., And Effects Of a survey conducted study that the nurses Ozer The among 137 nurses, to who are below twenty Ozlem., Organisational determine the reasons five years of age and Turac Silence: On for remaining silent on who do not have Sevay Which Issues particular issues, with experience of more Ilkay., The Nurses the help of factor than four years Songur Remain Silent? analysis. remain more silent Cuma than others. Also the study revealed that female nurses remain more silent than others due to the fear of being isolated and damaging valued relationships. 8. Laeeque 2014 Employee This study focussed With the help of Harris silence as a on finding out the correlation and Syed., determinant of impact of employee regression analysis, it Bakhtawar organisational silence on was found that there i Zafar commitment: organisational is a negative relation Nodia Evidence from commitment with between the the higher reference to higher dependent variable education education sector of (Organisational sector of Pakistan. commitment) and the Pakistan Organisational independent variables commitment is (employee silence, considered as the acquiescent silence, dependent variable defensive silence and while the independent prosocial silence). variables are That is, in the matters employee silence, related to work, the acquiescent silence, more an employee defensive silence and chooses to or is prosocial silence. forced to remain silent, less is their Organisational commitment. 9. Umashank 2015 Relationship The authors conducted The study reveals that ar M., Between this study to identify only four independent Padmavat Employee the relationship variables (Normative hy S. Silence And between employee Commitment, Organisational silence and job Defensive Silence, Commitment satisfaction using Continuance In Health Care percentage, Commitment and Industry correlation and Prosocial Silence) regression analysis. directly influence the The dependent dependent variable variable here is job (Job Satisfaction). satisfaction and the Also acquiescent independent variables silence and defensive are acquiescent silence are negatively JETIR1907252 Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) www.jetir.org 761

© 2019 JETIR June 2019, Volume 6, Issue 6 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) silence, defensive related to job silence, prosocial satisfaction while silence, affective normative commitment, commitment is continuance positively related to commitment and job satisfaction. normative commitment. 10. Dogu 2015 Study On The study was With the help of Gozde., Relationship conducted among 361 Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Yilmaz Between employees of Ministry (KMO), Barlett’s test Baki Working of Youth and Sports and correlation Performance Central Organisation, analysis, it was found And to explore the relation that there is a Organisational between work meaningful and direct Silence performance and proportional link Among organisational silence. between Employees Of organisational silence Ministry of and work Youth And performance Sports Central Organisation 11. Jain K 2015 An The study determines The findings Ajay Interpersonal the causes of silence indicated the four Perspective of employees working major facets of To Study in various silence in India, Silence In organisations in the particularly internal Indian northern part of India motivation, fear of Organizations: using exploratory and retaliation, self-image Investigation confirmative factor and self-competence. Of analyses. The Moreover, job Dimensionality mediating role of job satisfaction And satisfaction in the intermediates the Development relation between consequence of Of Measures silence and turnover silence on turnover intention is also intention. Results discussed here. support the positive impact of silence on satisfaction 12. Fard 2015 The A survey among 180 The results of the Gashtasebi Relationship employees of a study reported that Parastoo., between University was organisational trust Karimi Organizational conducted, with the has a meaningful and Fariba Trust and help of correlation, to inverse relation with Organizational investigate the organisational silence Silence with structural model while it has a relevant Job connecting and positive link with Satisfaction organisational silence organisational and and organisational commitment and job Organizational trust with satisfaction. But, Commitment organisational organisational silence of the commitment and job had an inverse and Employees of satisfaction. relevant link with job University satisfaction and organisational commitment

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© 2019 JETIR June 2019, Volume 6, Issue 6 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) 13. Yilmaz E 2016 The effect of The study aims to find The study gives a S., Cetinel organizational out whether there is meaningful Emine., silence on job any effect of conclusion that the Vysal satisfaction: A organisational silence silence in Duygu research on on job satisfaction organizations have a bank level of employees significant impact on employees and it also determines employees’ job the relationship satisfaction level. between demographic Only a poor relation variables, is found between organizational silence organisational silence and job satisfaction and job satisfaction. levels with the help of correlation and regression analysis. 14. Khalid 2016 Perceived This paper is based on The correlation and Jaweria., Organisational an investigation on a multiple regression Ahmed Politics And sample of 280 analysis unveil the Jaleel Employee respondents including positive link between Silence: assistant professors, organisational politics Supervisor associate professors, and employee silence Trust as a professors, lecturers motives. Also it Moderator and research suggests that associates of seven big relational, defensive, universities in two ineffectual, diffident, metropolitan cities in disengaged and Pakistan, based on deviant motives in a questionnaire. political environment prompt employees to withhold information. 15. Donovan 2016 Employee The present study The findings of the Sean., Voice And discussed the voice study revealed that Doyle Silence and silence of the trainees and those Elaine., In Auditing employees in employees appointed O’Sullivan Firms international auditing on contract basis have Michelle., firms. Semi-structured more tendency to Garvey interviews among remain silent on John eight managers and workplace problems. twenty employees It was found that were carried out. management was resistant to employee voice in regard to a change in working conditions or managers’ performance. 16. Pozveh 2016 The This paper estimated With the help of Zamani Relationship the link between correlation, multiple Asghar., between organisational climate regression and Karimi Organizational and organisational multiple variance Fariba Climate and silence of tests, it was found the administrative staff in that there was a Organizational Education Department converse significant Silence of in Isfahan by taking a relation between Administrative sample of 220 staff. organisational climate Staff in and organisational Education silence. The study JETIR1907252 Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) www.jetir.org 763

© 2019 JETIR June 2019, Volume 6, Issue 6 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) Department suggests that organisational procedures and objectives are the best predictors of organisational silence. 17. Kirrane 2017 Investigating This article inquires The study disclosed Melrona., The Role Of into the contribution that among the O’Shea Discrete of discrete emotions in various reasons to Deirdre., Emotions In decisions of remain silent, fear is Buckeley Silence Versus employees to remain the most important Finian., Speaking Up silent or to speak up. emotion related with Grazi The authors conducted silence behaviour and Adele., three studies using anger is considered as Prout both experimental and an antecedent of Joanne qualitative research speaking up while methods. less intense anger results in staying silent. 18. Rai 2018 Workplace The study delved in to The results of the Aparna., Bullying And the outcome of study uncovered the Agarwal A Employee workplace bullying on positive relation of Upasana Silence: employee silence by workplace bullying A Moderated collecting data from with relational, Mediation 835 employees defensive and Model Of working in different ineffectual silence. It Psychological Indian organisations. also suggests that the Contract bullying-silence Violation And relation is mediated Workplace by psychological Friendship contract violation. 19. Emelifeon 2018 Employee Authors interviewed An exploratory wu Voice And 30 employees in order qualitative case study Chukwue Silence In to explore the reported that fear of meka Multinational employee silence and victimisation is the Jude., Corporations voice in Nigerian tele- basic reason behind Valk In The communication the silence of Reimara Mobile industry based on employees. It was Telecommunic purposive sampling also found in the ations technique. study that the Industry In execution of a Nigeria culturally amended voice mechanism within the organisation has promoted employee voice and thus in turn resulted in improved organisational performance. 20. Korkmaz 2018 The In the study, The study reveals that Erdogan Relationship correlation and simple there is a relevant Between linear regression positive relation Organisational analysis were done to between Silence And examine whether organisational Allen Meyer organisational commitment and JETIR1907252 Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) www.jetir.org 764

© 2019 JETIR June 2019, Volume 6, Issue 6 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) Organisational commitment has a organisational Commitment relevant effect on silence. That is, when Model: A employees’ silence organisational Research In behaviour. For this commitment The Health examination, 120 increases, Sector In people were chosen organisational silence Turkey from public health also increases. sector in Turkey. 21. Karabay 2018 Ethical Authors have made an The hierarchical Melisa E., Climate as a attempt to study the regression technique Sener Mediator effect of trust in found that the silence Irge., Between leaders on employees’ behaviour of Tezergil Employees’ silence intentions employees is Seher A Organisational considering a negatively affected by Silence mediating role for trust in leaders. The Behaviours ethics. The survey was study supports that And Their conducted among 811 ethical climate in Trust In employees of various organisations plays a Leader: An insurance companies full mediating role in Empirical in Turkey and the the relation between Research On silence variants taken trust in leader and Insurance in the study are overall organisational Sector acquiescent silence, silence and prosocial Employees prosocial silence and and acquiescent defensive silence. silence behaviour, while it plays only a partial mediating role in the link between trust in leader and defensive silence behaviour.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Based on the literature review, following conceptual model is developed.

FEAR OF EXPLOITATION SILENCE OF PEER EMPLOYEES FEAR OF ISOLATION WORKPLACE BULLYING EMPLOYEE SUSTAIN VALUED SILENCE RELATIONSHIP NEGATIVE ORGANISATIONAL CLIMATE ORGANISATIONAL POLITICS

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DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Employee silence as a concept is a new one and can be approached from different perspectives. This paper tries to find out the reasons why employees remain silent in different situations. The causes of employee silence are silence of peer employees, workplace bullying, effort to sustain valued relationships, organisational politics, negative organisational climate and fear of exploitation and isolation. A conceptual model is also framed for better understanding. The literature suggests that the studies that are conducted so far are not enough to make any conclusions. Some of the concepts in this area of study are vague. Also, samples chosen for the studies are small in number which in turn may not give accurate results. From the above reviews, it is observed that the findings of certain researchers contradict those of others. The relationship between organisational silence and organisational commitment are stated as positive as well as negative by different authors. Also, there appears to be a weak link between silence behaviour and the profession. It is also noted that the authors use the terms organisational silence and employee silence identically in different situations. Likewise, there arises some sort of uncertainty in the studies on employee silence. Thus, in order to make the concept more logical, further studies need to be undertaken from different dimensions of the topic.

REFERENCES

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 Vakola, M. and Bouradas, D. (2005). “Antecedents And Consequences Of Organisational Silence: An Empirical Investigation”, Employee Relations, Vol. 27 Issue: 5, pp.441-458.

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 Zehir, C. and Erdogan, E. (2011). “The association between organizational silence and ethical leadership through employee performance”, 7th International Strategic Management Conference, Elsevier Publications Ltd.

 Schlosser, F. and Zolin, R. (2012). “Hearing voice and silence during stressful economic times”, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Vol. 34 No. 5, pp. 555-573.

 Kutanis, O.R., Ardic, K., Uslu, O. and Karakiraz, A. (2014). “Emotional Intelligence, Fear Based Silence And Trust To Manager: A Case Study”, Polish Journal Of Management Studies, Vol 10, Issue 2.Vol.10 No2

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© 2019 JETIR June 2019, Volume 6, Issue 6 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162)  Dogu, G. and Yilmaz, B. (2015). “Study On Relationship Between Working Performance And Organisational Silence Among Employees Of Ministry of Youth And Sports Central Organisation”, International Journal of Science Culture and Sport, Volume 3, Issue 4.

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 Donovan, S., Doyle, E., O’Sullivan, M. and Garvey, J. (2016). “Employee Voice and Silence in Auditing Firms”, Employee Relations, Vol. 38, Issue: 4, pp.563-577.

 Pozveh, Z.A. and Karimi, F. (2016). “The Relationship between Organizational Climate and the Organizational Silence of Administrative Staff in Education Department”, International Education Studies; Vol. 9, No. 6.

 Kirrane, M., O’Shea, D., Buckeley, F., Grazi, A. and Prout, J. (2017). “Investigating The Role Of Discrete Emotions In Silence Versus Speaking Up”, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 90, 354–378.

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 Emelifeonwu, C.J. and Valk, R. (2018). “Employee Voice and Silence in Multinational Corporations in the Mobile Telecommunications Industry in Nigeria”, Employee Relations, Vol. 41, Issue: 1, pp.228-252.

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 Karabay, M.E., Sener, I. and Tezergil, S.A. (2018). “Ethical Climate as a Mediator Between Employees’ Organisational Silence Behaviours And Their Trust In Leader: An Empirical Research On Insurance Sector Employees”, International Journal of Organizational Leadership vol 7, pp. 70-83.

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