Silent resistance to organizational change – an Australian perspective

Purpose The paper draws on Van Dyne et al.’s (2003) conceptual framework of silence to resistance and investigates academics’ response to performance management. Design/methodology/approach Adopting a case study of an Australian university that underwent significant strategic changes between 2004 and 2008, a thematic analysis is undertaken based on data collected via in-depth interviews with staff at different levels of management and academics across all ranks. A semi-structured questionnaire is also administered to all academics to understand their perceptions to changes within the university. Findings The findings reveal that academics chose to play the game of silent resistance – concentrating their efforts on acquiescent silence and defensive silence in response to organizational changes. The results also reveal that one of the main reasons academics adopted this form of resistance is due to their fear of being made redundant. Research limitations/implications Despite its contributions, our study has several limitations. First, it is based on a single case study of a large Australian university, which may limit the generalizability of the findings. Second, the study relied on self-reported data, which may be subject to bias. Practical implications The study highlights the importance of comprehending the various forms of employee resistance, with a focus on performance management, which bridges the behavioural research gap in this field and facilitates an improved understanding of academics’ views on performance management and their behaviour towards the same. Originality/value The originality of the paper lies in its two-fold contribution: First, it links Van Dyne et al.’s (2003) conceptual framework of silence and voice to resistance in academic environments, which to our knowledge, has not been explored so far. Second, it highlights the development of a silent resistance strategy by academics through “silent treatment”, an idea of “social ostracism” within the context of business schools in Australian universities.