Exploring Leadership Silence in a Sample of Managers and Non-managers Within US-Based Organizations

Despite its theoretical significance in internal communication research, leadership silence has been understudied. Using responses from 127 managers and 93 non-managers in the United States, we explored the prevalence, situations, motives, and attributions of leadership silence, defined as a decision-making process marked by the assessment of competing situational and interpersonal risks. The results showed that leadership silence is strikingly prevalent in various contexts, including organizational change and uncertainty, performance and productivity, and policy and confidentiality. The findings also revealed discrepancies between the motives attributed to leadership silence by non-managers and the claimed motives of leadership silence by managers. While most managers reported choosing silence to maintain workplace stability by minimizing chaos and anxiety, most non-managers attributed silence to their leaders’ intention to avoid responsibility or protect their interests. Theoretical and strategic implications are discussed.