Impact of Social Conformity on Organisational Silence: A Conceptual Model

Abstract

Purpose: The present study aims to explore how social conformity arises in organisation and how it leads to organisational silence.

Design/ Methodology/Approach: The primary method used to answer how social conformity arises in organisation and how it creates a climate of silence is literature review. Broad review of social conformity literature through multidisciplinary search in the field of organisational behaviour and social psychology and human resource development was conducted.

Findings: The findings of the study suggests that social conformity forces people to change or suppress their views leading to silence behaviour and influences their job related attitudes. Previous studies on organisational silence focussed on how organisational factors & individual factors affect organisational silence but there is lack of research as to how perception of people in the organisation affects one’s ability to share opinion & information. The existing organisational silence literature underestimated the impact of social conformity on human behaviour and why people get influenced by majority opinion while sharing their views and concerns. People act as an important source of information. They influence others in turn get influence by them. This social conformity has long term negative consequences therefore it is imperative for organisation to overcome conformity behaviour as it will impede the organisation in making informed decisions by preventing employees to hide their true opinion, information. This study contributes to existing organisational silence literature by considering social conformity as an antecedent of organisational silence.

Originality/Value: The topic of social conformity has received little research attention, particularly in work environment. The existing organisational silence studies underestimated the impact of social conformity on human behaviour in work environment and why people get influenced by majority opinion while sharing their views and concerns. This study bridge the gap in the existing organisational silence literature by proposing social conformity as an antecedent of organisational silence.

Paper Type: Theme Based Paper.