“Silence” is a common phenomenon in the operation of enterprises, where some instances
of silence can uphold organizational harmony, while other forms can exacerbate
organizational issues, hindering intra-organizational information transfer and
decision-making and affecting organizational innovation.
OBJECTIVE:
This study aims to explore the relationship between humble leadership style and
employee silent behavior, verifying the mediating role of psychological contracts in
this relationship.
METHODS:
Based on the social exchange theory, hypotheses are validated using descriptive
statistical analysis, correlation analysis and the SEM structural equation modeling
testing.
RESULTS:
The findings indicate a significant negative correlation between humble leadership and
employee silence. Humble leadership significantly inversely predicts permissive and
defensive dimensions of employee silence, while the correlation with the prosocial
dimension is insignificant. Moreover, psychological contracts partially mediate the
impact of humble leadership on permissive silence and defensive silence among
employees.
CONCLUSION:
The study helps managers comprehend how humble leadership, characterized by the
traditional Chinese “humility” culture, affects employee silence. Especially within
Chinese enterprises, where employees are influenced by traditional Chinese thought and
exhibit historical dependency on silent behavior, probing whether the humble leadership
style can effectively encourage employees to provide constructive suggestions for
organizational development is particularly meaningful.
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