Silence as a mediator between organizational factors and stress

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.