Work

Employee Silence and Psychological Safety: Insights from an Aviation Company with Broader Organizational Applications

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study investigates the relationship between psychological safety and different types of silence — defensive, diffident, relational, ineffectual, and deviant — within the context of employee-supervisor interactions. Additionally, it examines the impact of sociodemographic variables on the manifestation of silence and its association with psychological safety. The research included 486 employees from a Portuguese aviation company. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods with SmartPLS. The results indicate a negative correlation between psychological safety and all types of silence, suggesting that psychologically safe work environments reduce employees' tendency to withhold concerns. Furthermore, significant effects of sex, education, and seniority were observed in the adoption of silence. Based on these findings, the study proposes innovative strategies to enhance psychological safety and mitigate silence, fostering a more open environment for communication, innovation, and active employee participation.

Source: Tourism & Management Studies

DOI: 10.18089/tms.20250207

Authors: Daniel Costa Pacheco, Ana Isabel Damião de Serpa Arruda Moniz, Suzana Nunes Caldeira, Osvaldo Dias Lopes da Silva

Institution: Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia

Language: English

Topic: Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior

Subfield: Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: diamond

OpenAlex ID: W4412620564

FWCI: 10.3

Cites:

Cited by: 8

Related to: 10