The Role of Employee Silence in The Effect of Perceived Gender Discrimination on Emotional Burnout in Female Employees

This study aims to determine the effect of perceived gender discrimination on emotional exhaustion and the moderating role of employee silence in this relationship. Although it has been examined conceptually, there is no study that evaluates all concepts in a holistic model. In this respect, the research has a unique value in terms of contributing to the literature. The sample of the study, which adopts a quantitative research method, consists of enterprises operating in Ankara. The questionnaire forms created within the scope of the research with 397 women working in these enterprises were applied. In the analysis of the data obtained, SPSS v24 package program was used to determine pretests, descriptive statistics and relationships between variables, and IBM AMOS v24 package program was used for CFA analysis. In the study, firstly, the effects of perceived gender discrimination and employee silence on emotional exhaustion were tested. As a result of the analysis, it was found that perceived gender discrimination and employee silence (defensive silence, silence for the benefit of the organization and accepting silence) have an effect on emotional exhaustion, and defensive silence has a moderating role in the relationship between perceived gender discrimination and emotional exhaustion. As a result of the research, recommendations were made for decision makers, employers and for further research.