Perceived supervisor support and subordinate silence: an uncertainty management perspective on the roles of interactional justice, commitment and procedural justice

Purpose This study explores the potential of perceived supervisor support (PSS) to minimize subordinates' acquiescent and defensive silence toward their supervisors. Based on the uncertainty management theory (UMT), we propose perceived supervisor interactional justice as the key mediator and explore the moderating effects of commitment to supervisor and procedural justice. Design/methodology/approach Time-lagged data were collected over three waves of questionnaire surveys. Based on data from 263 employees across various Taiwanese companies, the analysis utilized a latent moderated structural equation modeling approach. Findings PSS was negatively associated with acquiescent and defensive silence, and these relationships were mediated by interactional justice. Commitment to supervisor and procedural justice served as moderators that strengthened the links between interactional justice and multifaceted silence. Originality/value This study extends the concept of employee silence by specifying supervisors as a target. It identifies critical supervisory factors that can effectively reduce employees' silence in the presence of their supervisors. Furthermore, unlike previous research that primarily adopted a social exchange theory perspective, this study uses UMT to formulate its hypotheses.