Power Imbalance and Employee Silence: The Role of Abusive Leadership, Power Distance Orientation, and Perceived Organisational Politics

Negative vs. Positive Psychology: a Review of Science of Well-Being

Happiness, well-being, human freedom, and life events are interconnected. Nevertheless, the debate about human well-being struggles to find an exact definition. Literature debates on the importance of positive psychology or adverse effects of negative psychology in the well-being context discuss separately. However, both counter each other but have their significance and indisputable fact. Human psychology evolves around determinism and Free Will. One type of determinism is hard, while the other is soft. Individuals who are adamant about and embrace acceptance of chances are driven by their nature and psychology to choose negative behaviors under hard determinism. They give up their free will, whereas soft determinists use it to make choices and behave positively. However, the researchers looked at negative psychology as a useful aspect and positive psychology's dark side. We argued that there are reasons to suppose that chances can develop into options and vice versa. From a well-being perspective, negative and positive psychological strengths and weaknesses can be investigated. From the literature review, useful hypotheses for future research have been derived from our synthesis.

The impact of challenge and hindrance stressors on knowledge hiding: the mediating role of job crafting and work withdrawal

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of challenge and hindrance stressors on employees' knowledge-hiding behavior, based on self-reported data from 493 Chinese preschool teachers. The findings indicate that both challenge and hindrance stressors significantly increase knowledge hiding, with hindrance stressors exerting a more pronounced effect. Furthermore, the study reveals the mediating roles of job crafting and work withdrawal, highlighting the distinct mechanisms involved with these stressors. Specifically, challenge stressors increase the likelihood of knowledge hiding through work withdrawal while simultaneously decreasing it through job crafting; notably, the former pathway has a greater effect. In contrast, hindrance stressors consistently exert detrimental effects, amplifying the probability of knowledge hiding through both mediators, which explains their stronger impact compared to challenge stressors. Additionally, empowering leadership plays a crucial moderating role in this relationship. The adverse influence of hindrance stressors on knowledge hiding, as mediated by job crafting, intensifies under high levels of empowering leadership. These findings not only validate the newly constructed parallel mediation model within an educational context but also provide practical strategies for kindergarten administrators regarding knowledge management. Such strategies include effectively distinguishing and managing different types of job stressors, enhancing skills to empower employees, and organizing regular knowledge-sharing activities.

Effects of Hierarchical Unit Culture and Power Distance Orientation on Nurses' Silence Behavior: The Roles of Perceived Futility and Hospital Management Support for Patient Safety

Background: Patient safety is paramount in healthcare, and effective communication is a cornerstone of preventing adverse patient events. Despite nurses' crucial role in improving patient safety, they often keep silent about their concerns. This study investigated links among hierarchical unit culture, nurses' power distance orientation, perception of futility, and silence behavior in healthcare environments. Moreover, we aimed to determine whether nurse-perceived hospital management support for patient safety moderated the association between nurses' perceived futility and silence behavior. Methods: This cross-sectional, correlational study utilized survey data from 730 direct-care nurses working in 88 medical, surgical, or medical-surgical units across 34 hospitals in South Korea. Validated psychometric scales measured the study variables, and data were analyzed using a 2-1-1 type of multilevel structural equation model. Results: Hierarchical unit culture and power distance orientation showed significant positive associations with nurses' perception of futility (b = 0.62, p < 0.001, and b = 0.37, p < 0.001, respectively) and subsequently with their silence behavior (b = 0.22, p < 0.01, and b = 0.31, p < 0.001, respectively). Futility was found to mediate the relationship of both hierarchical unit culture (indirect effect = 0.222, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.006, 0.438]) and power distance orientation (indirect effect = 0.132, 95% CI [0.003, 0.261]) to silence behavior. Hospital management support for patient safety significantly moderated the relationship between futility and silence behavior (b = 0.04, p < 0.05); nurses were less likely to remain silent when they perceived high management support as opposed to low support, regardless of their futility level. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the crucial influence of organizational culture on nurses' silence behavior. The findings also underscore the importance of hospital management support with respect to patient safety. Management support may be necessary to combat nurses' perceived futility and to promote open communication.

Assessment of nurses' workplace silence behaviour motives: A cross-sectional study

Objectives

The motives that lead to nurses' workplace silence behaviour are essential to understand, as the failure to voice their concerns and maintain silence may cause various adverse outcomes, including burnout, turnover, job dissatisfaction, low productivity, and mental and moral distress. This study aimed to identify the level and influencing motives of the workplace silence behaviour among nurses at the National Guard Hospital in Madinah.

Methods

A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted in January and February 2023. The participants completed a questionnaire with two parts: the sociodemographic data form and the Workplace Silence Behavior Nursing Motives Scale. Data analysis was performed by descriptive statistics and the chi-square test.

Results

The overall level for all workplace silence behavior motives is moderate (3.29 ± 0.69), with Avoidance Motives dimension receiving the highest scores (3.62 ± 0.75) and Organization-Oriented Motives dimension receiving the lowest (3.15 ± 0.86). Chi-square test showed that Saudi nationality (χ 2  = 0.015, P = 0.019) and monthly income (χ 2  = 0.045, P = 0.013) are factors in high-moderate levels of silence behaviour.

Conclusions

The overall level of workplace silence behaviour motives was found to be moderate, nurses have higher monthly salaries and non-Saudi nationals tend to have higher levels of workplace silence behaviour motives. The study results provide a reference for nursing managers to pay attention to nurses' workplace silence behavior and take corresponding intervention measures.

"You should have addressed it directly": the ideals and ideologies of managing interaction problems in healthcare work

PURPOSE

An "open communication culture" in the workplace is considered a key contributor to high-quality interaction and providing means to address problems at work. We study how the ideals of "open communication" operate in healthcare.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

We use discourse analysis to investigate the audio-recorded data from 14 workshop team discussions in older people services.

FINDINGS

We found four imperatives concerning the interactional conduct of their colleagues in problematic situations that nursing professionals prefer: (1) Engage in direct communication and avoid making assumptions, (2) Address problems immediately, (3) Deal directly with the person involved in the matter and (4) Summon the courage to speak up. Through these imperatives, the nursing professionals invoke and draw upon the "open communication" discourse. Although these ideals were acknowledged as difficult to realize in practice and as leading to experiences of frustration, the need to comply with them was constructed as beyond doubt.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

Workplace communication should be enhanced at a communal level, allowing those with less power to express their perspectives on shaping shared ideals of workplace interaction.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

The expectation that an individual will simply "speak up" when they experience mistreatment by a colleague might be too much if the individual is already in a precarious position.

Et tu Brute? The Roles of Subordinate-Supervisor Similarities on the Relationship between Abusive Supervision and Employee Silence Behavior: A Study from the Subordinates' Perspectives

The current study examined the moderating effects of subordinate-supervisor similarities on abusive supervision and employee silence relationships. We addressed the question of whether employees' silence reactions are alleviated or aggravated when the abuse comes from a supervisor who shares a similar gender and other sociodemographic attributes with the employee. The results indicated that abusive supervision led to more silence behavior and supported the moderating effect of perceived sociodemographic similarity on this relationship. However, regardless of gender similarities with their supervisors, the findings postulated that employees experiencing abusive supervision were more likely to remain silent at work. When there is a perceived sociodemographic similarity between the employee and the supervisor, abusive supervision has been found to have a harsher influence on employee's silence behavior. These findings help us better understand the antecedents of employee silence behavior and provide important implications for subordinate-supervisor similarity dynamics in exposure to abusive supervision.

Effect of Employee Experience on Organizational Commitment: Case of South Korea

This study's purpose is to examine the effect of employee experience on job satisfaction, psychological well-being, and organizational commitment among corporate employees, with a specific focus on three factors: physical, technological, and cultural experiences. Given the growing importance of mental health management for employees, the study investigates the relationship between employee experience and mental toughness. A structural equation modeling research model was designed, and data were collected through a survey of 534 Korean employees. The analysis results show that cultural and physical experiences have a significant impact on organizational commitment, while technological experience does not have a significant impact. Furthermore, the study identifies that employee experience positively effects organizational commitment through job satisfaction and psychological well-being as mediators. It also reveals that the effect of employee experience on organizational commitment varies depending on the level of mental toughness. The findings suggest that managing employee experience can increase organizational commitment by improving job satisfaction and psychological well-being. Therefore, it is essential to be aware of individual mental toughness and its development. Hence this study highlights the importance of considering the physical, technological, and cultural experiences of employees in enhancing their well-being and commitment to the organization.

No News Is Not Good News: The Mediating Role of Job Frustration in the Perceptions of Organizational Politics and Employee Silence

Building on the affective event theory, we investigate the mediating role of job frustration in the relationship between perceptions of organizational politics (POP) and employee silence. We suggest that job frustration induced by POP leads employees to become more passive in organizational participation, reflected in increased employee silence. Results from data collected from 459 employees of an Iranian organization indicate that POP has both a direct and an indirect effect on various employee silence motives. The study extends prior research by examining an affective mechanism linking POP to employee silence. The results suggest that frustration may be expressed silently in politicized work environments. The study attests to the need to explore the role of context-relevant discrete emotion in organizational phenomena. It also points to the need for organizational leaders to identify the emotional undercurrent of employee silence and to reduce negative politics in organizations.

Subordinates’ silence: the consequence of bullying behaviour and psychological insecurity among policemen

Purpose

There has been a growing concern about employee silence (ES) within an organization. ES is associated with low creativity and innovativeness, unethical organizational practices, avoidable errors and safety-related issues. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the mediating role of psychological insecurity (PI) in the relationship between leaders’ bullying behaviour (LBB) on defensive (DES) and acquiescent employee silence (AES).

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected among police personnel working in Plateau state Nigeria. In all, a total of 350 responses were found useable for further analysis, of the 398 copies of the questionnaire administered. A structural equation modelling technique was used via SMART-PLS version 3.3.3 to test the hypothesized relationship.

Findings

The findings of this study revealed that leaders’ bullying positively and significantly influences both AES and DES, and PI was found to mediate the relationship between LBB and AES and DES.

Originality/value

LBB among the police has been under-researched, even when there is clear evidence of its existence. PI explains the mechanism through which LBB influences officers' silence.

Does My Humor Touch You? Effect of Leader Self-Deprecating Humour on Employee Silence: The Mediating Role of Leader-Member Exchange

Purpose

Silence is a typical negative behaviour exhibited by employees when they are faced with tension and stress and is influenced by a number of factors. Leaders have an important influence on employees' emotions and behaviour, but the research is not yet clear enough. In this paper, we focus on the research frontier of self-deprecating humour of leaders, aiming to analyse its effect on employee silence and discuss the mechanism of the role of leader-member exchange (LMX) in it, based on social exchange theory.

Methods

We conducted a regression analysis and bootstrap test for mediating effects based on 2531 data from 151 financial institutions in mainland China. A simple random sampling was taken of the target population to ensure an unbiased sample. Using Harman's single-factor test to check the data for common method bias. Regression analysis and Bootstrap test were used to analyze the correlation between variables and mediating effect models.

Findings

(a) Leader self-deprecating humour significantly reduces employee silence and effectively improves the quality of LMX; (b) There is a significant negative relationship between LMX and employee silence; (c) LMX plays a mediating role in the process of self-deprecating humour influencing employee silence and this mediating effect is complete; (d) Affective exchange between leaders and employees appears to be an essential factor in reducing stress from leaders and reducing employee silence.

Originality/Value

We attempt to open the black box of the mechanism of action between leader self-deprecating humour and employee silence, enrich and expand the application of social exchange theory to negative employee behavior, and provide new theoretical knowledge and empirical evidence from developing countries.

Practical Implications

The results of the study indicated that self-deprecating humor of leaders can significantly inhibit employee silence through high levels of LMX. Moreover, the mediating role played by LMX was complete. Therefore, organizations should not only focus on the role of leadership humor, but also to achieve mutual respect and trust between leaders and subordinates, and an emotional exchange that goes beyond economic relationships.

"Loyalty to organizations" or "loyalty to supervisors"? Research on differential leadership and employee loyalty behavior: A perspective of insiders and outsiders

Loyalty has always been a hot topic in the field of organizational behavior, which is of great significance to the operation and management of organizations. Extant studies have found that leadership can have a great impact on loyalty. Differential leadership is a common and unique leadership style in Chinese organizations, but the research between differential leadership and loyalty is still lacking. Based on social exchange theory and social learning theory. This study discusses the relationship between differential leadership and loyalty. By using hierarchical regression analysis and bootstrap method. The results show that differential leadership has a positive effect on employees' organizational loyalty and supervisory loyalty, and the degree of "loyalty to organizations" is generally lower than "loyalty to supervisors"; under differential leadership style, the supervisory loyalty from insiders is much higher than that from outsiders, but the influence and difference of the two groups (insider and outsider) do not have a significant effect on organizational loyalty. The supervisor developmental feedback mediates the relationship between differential leadership and organizational & supervisory loyalty; power distance positively moderates the relationship between supervisor developmental feedback and organizational & supervisory loyalty, and the higher the perceived power distance of employees, the stronger the indirect effect of developmental feedback from supervisors. This study not only enriches the theory of differential leadership but also provides empirical support for understanding the differences in cognitive behavior between insiders and outsiders.

Abusive leadership: A moderated-mediation through leader-member exchange and by organizational politics

Abusive leadership has been shown to have adverse consequences for both the employees and the organization. In the current paper, the impacts of such a leadership style on workers’ turnover intentions (TIs), counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) and organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) are investigated through a dyadic lens—the mediation of leader-member exchange (LMX). Furthermore, when the workplace atmosphere is also tainted by high level of perceived organizational politics (POP) (as a moderator), these relationships deepen and and/or change (for the worse). To test the moderated-mediation research model, an online sample of 619 participants was obtained. The results support an interesting moderated-mediation of LMX by POP. Theoretical and practical implications, limitations and future research suggestions are discussed.

A Multidimensional Model of Abusive Supervision and Work Incivility

The ubiquity of abusive supervision in the workplace, as well as the serious repercussions that come with it, has prompted scholars to investigate the numerous dynamics of this problem. This research examines the circumstances in which subordinates react to abusive supervisory behavior. The study hypothesizes the negative impacts of abusive supervision associated with the impression of unfairness and politics in the workplace toward a subordinate deviant attitude based on current research and theoretical perspectives. According to the suggested paradigm, abusive supervision leads to subordinates’ work incivility by creating an unfair and politically thrilling atmosphere in the workplace. Furthermore, the study found that political skill and work incivility are linked to each other; workers who are experts in using political tactics are not supposed to turn toward work incivility while responding to the abusive behavior of the top management. The research was based on the social exchange theory and uncertainty management theory.

Paradoxical leadership as a moderating factor in the relationship between organizational silence and employee voice: an examination using SEM

Purpose

Paradoxical leadership (PL) is a style that can bring stability and flexibility simultaneously, which helps organizations to manage the uncertain external environment. The purpose of this study is to identify if PL could moderate the relationship between organizational silence and employee voice.

Design/methodology/approach

Data for the study were collected from a sample of 617 gainfully employed factory employees using three standardized questionnaires. The data were analyzed using structural equation modelling (SEM) through Python programming. SEM was used to test the mediating, moderating, and serial-parallel relationship of the proposed model.

Findings

The research study found that organizational inertia led to silence among employees. It was also found that PL moderated the relationship between organizational silence and employee voice.

Originality/value

A fair review of the literature showed that studies that examine the effect of PL on organizational silence are scarce. The present study is a modest effort towards addressing this gap in the literature. The findings of the study are significant and have made a substantial contribution to management literature.

Abusive supervision, supervisor undermining, and turnover intentions: mediation of quiescent silence and desire to seek revenge among Thai banking frontliners

Purpose

Drawing on the social exchange theory, this study aims to investigate the destructive impact of abusive supervision and supervisor undermining on quiescent silence and turnover intentions among frontline employees. Whether quiescent silence and the desire to seek revenge mediate the path from aggressive supervisory behaviors to turnover intentions is explored.

Design/methodology/approach

Following a time-lagged design, the authors collected data from 350 frontline banking officers in Thailand by a survey. For data analysis purposes, structural equation modeling procedures are used through Smart partial least square version 3.2.0.

Findings

Uniquely, findings suggest that abusive supervision does not result in any form of retaliation. Supervisor undermining has a trickle-down effect on the desire to revenge, quiescent silence and turnover intentions. For supervisor undermining, the direct path, as well as mediating roles are supported by data.

Practical implications

The findings of this study suggests organizational systems should discourage supervisors from undermining the subordinates. There is a need to offer regular training to supervisors. Furthermore, employees should be provided some platforms and the freedom to positively speak at work. Above all, supervisors should be more inspiring which can dilute negative perceptions of abuse.

Originality/value

The proposed mediation of desire to revenge and quiescent silence is unique to this study. Moreover, the challenge to the traditional trickle-down effects of abusive supervision is a unique intervention in the organizational behavior literature.

Implicit followership theories and resistance to leaders’ unethical requests: the mediating role of organizational citizenship behavior

Purpose

This study aims to adopt a follower-centric approach in leadership and ethics research by investigating the impact of implicit followership theories (IFTs) on followers’ constructive resistance to leaders’ unethical requests. Specifically, it analyzes the mediating role of organizational citizenship behavior in the relationship between IFTs and constructive resistance. Indeed, this study aims to examine whether followers with more positive beliefs about the characteristics that a follower should have IFTs are more likely to resist unethical leadership and whether this relationship is mediated by organizational citizenship behavior as volunteering acts that exceed the formal job requirements.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed hypotheses were tested using survey data from 273 employees working in a steel manufacturer company in Iran. The variance-based structural equation modeling technique was used to analyze data.

Findings

The results show that followership antiprototype negatively affects both follower’s constructive resistance and organizational citizenship behavior. Furthermore, organizational citizenship behavior mediates the relationship between IFTs and follower’s constructive resistance. Also, both followership prototype and organizational citizenship behavior have a positive effect on follower’s constructive resistance.

Originality/value

Contrary to the dominant leader-centric approach in leadership and organizational ethics research, few studies have examined the role of followers and their characteristics. The results of this study provide important insights into the role of followers in resistance against the leader’s unethical request.

Why Not All the Powerful Abuse? The Competitive Effects of Psychological Distance and Self-Control

Building on the social distance theory of power, this study proposed the positive and negative mechanisms of power and their impacts on abusive supervision from the competitive perspectives of psychological distance and self-control. The boundary effects of independent self-construal were also analyzed. The hypotheses of this study were tested through questionnaires and an experimental study design. The Study 1 data were collected from 422 supervisors and subordinates from five private enterprises and one state-owned enterprise in Eastern China. Study 2, on the other hand, was conducted through a scenario-based experiment in which 180 part-time master of business administration (MBA) students from a university in Eastern China participated. All data were tested using polynomial regression analysis and a bootstrapping appraisal. The results revealed that (1) the relationship between power and abusive supervision is not significant; (2) psychological distance mediates the relationship between power and abusive supervision, with high power leading to higher psychological distance, which, in turn, strengthens abusive supervision; (3) self-control mediates the relationship between power and abusive supervision, with high power leading to higher self-control, which, in turn, weakens abusive supervision; (4) the mediating effect of psychological distance is stronger, and the mediating effect of self-control is weaker when independent self-construal is high rather than low. At the end of this study, the theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Employee state paranoia: linking abusive supervision with employee voice behavior

Purpose

Utilizing affective event theory (AET), this paper aims to understand the affective reasoning behind choosing to speak up for or against abusive supervision. For this purpose, the authors examine the underlying mechanism of employee state paranoia in the relationship between abusive supervision and promotive and prohibitive voice of employees.

Design/methodology/approach

Data from 307 microfinance bank employees were collected using supervisor–subordinate nested design and time-lag approach. The analysis was performed through partial least square (PLS) structural equation modeling using Smart PLS software.

Findings

The results support the direct relationship of abusive supervision with promotive and prohibitive voice. They also support the mediating relation of paranoia arousal between abusive supervision and promotive voice. However, the results do not support the mediating relationship of paranoia arousal between abusive supervision and prohibitive voice.

Originality/value

In light of the literature drawn from AET and empirical data, this study forwards robust recommendations for theory and practice and may assist future researchers interested in the role of employee paranoia arousal.

When does benevolent leadership inhibit silence? The joint moderating roles of perceived employee agreement and cultural value orientations

Purpose

This study's purpose is to examine benevolent leadership's effect on employee silence, as moderated by perceived employee agreement on leader behaviors and cultural value orientations.

Design/methodology/approach

Two-wave survey data were collected from 240 Chinese employees working in various industries. Hierarchical regression and simple slope analysis were used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Benevolent leadership was negatively related to employee silence. When perceived employee agreement on leader behaviors was high, employees with high power-distance orientation or low vertical individualism were more sensitive to benevolent leadership and engaged in less silence.

Practical implications

Managers are advised to exhibit benevolent behaviors to mitigate employees' tendency to remain silence. Organizations and managers can also design interventions to encourage employees with low power distance or high vertical individualism to speak up.

Originality/value

This study advances the understanding of the relationship between benevolent leadership and employee silence. By highlighting the moderating role of employees' perception of leader behaviors and their cultural value orientations, this study helps explain the conditions that when employees choose to keep silence or not.

Individual psychological distance: a leadership task to assess and cope with invisible change

Purpose

The current research review aims to provide a conceptual framework for future research on individual psychological distance in leadership tasks.

Design/methodology/approach

Through literature review, the authors developed an intended research framework.

Findings

The need of intended framework from theoretical perspective, meta-analysis and situational analysis is presented in this paper. The discussion on a present study about the various aspects of individual perspective, strategic leadership and its link with organizational outcomes are hypothetically aligned in the framework.

Originality/value

Strategic change management is the process of managing change in an organization. Change is critical to measure existing structures in the thoughtful way. Mapping individual behavior change is a difficult task, and organizational goals, objectives and missions are an important element of the learning process. Through this framework, the authors attempt to reach the model.

Can you be a follower even when you do not follow the leader? Yes, you can

In the ongoing debate in the area of critical leadership studies, the nature of leader–follower relationships is a thorny issue. The nature of followership has been questioned, especially whether followers can display resistance behaviours while maintaining their follower position. Addressing this issue requires a dialectical approach in which followers and leaders alike are primary elements in leadership co-production. Followers who face destructive leaders are of special interest when leadership is studied as a co-creational process. This context favours the emergence of a full range of behavioural profiles in which passives and colluders will illustrate the destructive leadership co-production process, and those who resist demonstrate that followers may not follow the leader and still keep a followership purpose. A two-step data analysis procedure was conducted based on the behaviour descriptions of 123 followers having a destructive leader. A qualitative analysis (i.e. content analysis) showed a set of behaviours and their antecedents that suggest three main groups of followers: resisters, obedient and mixed behaviour. Treating these data quantitatively (i.e. latent class analysis), six followers’ profiles emerged: active resistance, passive resistance, passive obedience, conflict avoidance, support and mixed. Our findings provide evidence that followers who resist may do it for the sake of the organisation. We discuss our findings in light of followership theory, whereby joining role-based and constructionist approaches allows us to argue that followers may still be followers even when they do not invariably follow their leader.

Silent Counterattack: The Impact of Workplace Bullying on Employee Silence

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between workplace bullying (WB) and employee silence (ES) as well as its mechanism. This paper collects data from 322 employees of three Chinese enterprises in two waves, with a 2 months interval between the two waves. Moreover, this paper uses confirmatory factor analysis, a bootstrapping mediation test, a simple slope test, and other methods to verify the hypothesis. We find that: (1) WB is positively correlated with ES; (2) psychological safety (PS) and affective commitment mediated the relationship between WB and ES, respectively, and these two variables have a chain mediating effect in the above relationship; and (3) a forgiveness climate moderates this chain mediating effect by weakening the negative impact of WB on PS. Our findings can effectively guide organizations to ultimately adjust their management style, pay attention to employees’ cognitive and emotional resources, and formulate some measures to curb WB in organizations.