Prediction of Academic Staffs’ Organizational Silence through their Power Distance Perceptions

Abstract

This research aimed to determine the role of power distance perceptions of academic staff working in faculties of education on their organizational silence. The population of the study consisted of 8,978 academic staff working at education faculties of universities in seven geographical regions of Turkey during the 2016-2017 academic year. Simple random sampling technique was employed in the study. The data of the study were collected through online questionnaires. The “Organizational Power Distance Scale” and “Organizational Silence Scale” were used as the data collection instruments in the research. Within the scope of this study, Organizational Silence Scale were adapted to Turkish language. The analyses were conducted with 481 eligible returned questionnaires. According to the regression analysis results, the dimensions of power distance perceptions of academic staff as a whole gave a medium positive and significant relationship with acquiescent silence and defensive silence, with a low positive and significant relationship with prosocial silence. Acceptance of power, instrumental use of power, and acquiescence of power were seen to be predictors of acquiescent silence and defensive silence, whereas only acceptance of power was found to be a significant predictor of prosocial silence. Academic staffs’ justification of power had no significant effect on their organizational silence. The power distance perceptions of the academic staff explained 24.4% of the total variance of their acquiescent silence, 35% of their defensive silence, and 2.3% of their prosocial