International differences in employee silence motives: Scale validation, prevalence, and relationships with culture characteristics across 33 countries

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Ressource 1Download: Knoll et al., 2021.pdf (4367.12 [Ko])
State: Public
Version: Final published version
License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Serval ID
serval:BIB_0FEEF1DDDC6C
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
International differences in employee silence motives: Scale validation, prevalence, and relationships with culture characteristics across 33 countries
Journal
Journal of Organizational Behavior
Author(s)
Knoll Michael, Götz Martin, Adriasola Elisa, Al-Atwi Amer Ali, Arenas Alicia, Atitsogbe Kokou A., Barrett Stephen, Bhattacharjee Anindo, Blanco Norman D., Bogilović Sabina, Bollmann Grégoire, Bosak Janine, Bulut Cagri, Carter Madeline, Černe Matej, Chui Susanna L. M., Di Marco Donatella, Duden Gesa S., Elsey Vicki, Fujimura Makoto, Gatti Paola, Ghislieri Chiara, Giessner Steffen R., Hino Kenta, Hofmans Joeri, Jønsson Thomas S., Kazimna Pazambadi, Lowe Kevin B., Malagón Juliana, Mohebbi Hassan, Montgomery Anthony, Monzani Lucas, Pieterse Anne Nederveen, Ngoma Muhammed, Ozeren Emir, O'Shea Deirdre, Ottsen Christina Lundsgaard, Pickett Jennifer, Rangkuti Anna A., Retowski Sylwiusz, Ardabili Farzad Sattari, Shaukat Razia, Silva Silvia A., Šimunić Ana, Steffens Niklas K., Sultanova Faniya, Szücs Daria, Tavares Susana M., Tipandjan Arun, Dick Rolf, Vasiljevic Dimitri, Wong Sut I., Zacher Hannes
ISSN
0894-3796
1099-1379
Publication state
Published
Issued date
04/05/2021
Language
english
Abstract
Employee silence, the withholding of work‐related ideas, questions, or concerns from someone who could effect change, has been proposed to hamper individual and collective learning as well as the detection of errors and unethical behaviors in many areas of the world. To facilitate cross‐cultural research, we validated an instrument measuring four employee silence motives (i.e., silence based on fear, resignation, prosocial, and selfish motives) in 21 languages. Across 33 countries (N = 8,222) representing diverse cultural clusters, the instrument shows good psychometric properties (i.e., internal reliabilities, factor structure, and measurement invariance). Results further revealed similarities and differences in the prevalence of silence motives between countries, but did not necessarily support cultural stereotypes. To explore the role of culture for silence, we examined relationships of silence motives with the societal practices cultural dimensions from the GLOBE Program. We found relationships between silence motives and power distance, institutional collectivism, and uncertainty avoidance. Overall, the findings suggest that relationships between silence and cultural dimensions are more complex than commonly assumed. We discuss the explanatory power of nations as (cultural) units of analysis, our social scientific approach, the predictive value of cultural dimensions, and opportunities to extend silence research geographically, methodologically, and conceptually.
Keywords
Applied Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management, Sociology and Political Science, General Psychology
Open Access
Yes
Create date
19/02/2021 14:29
Last modification date
06/05/2021 7:08
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