This study aims to present a qualitative model of the factors influencing organizational silence and its consequences on managerial decision-making. A qualitative approach was adopted using thematic analysis and meta-synthesis methods. Data were collected from two main sources: (1) documentary analysis of academic literature on organizational silence, and (2) semi-structured interviews with 16 experts, including senior managers and faculty members specialized in human resource management and organizational behavior. Data analysis was conducted using Sandelowski and Barroso’s meta-synthesis method and Attride-Stirling’s three-level thematic coding. Thematic analysis yielded 66 conceptual codes grouped into five main categories: individual factors, interpersonal factors, organizational factors, extra-organizational factors, and the consequences of silence on decision-making. At the outcome level, organizational silence was found to reduce the accuracy, precision, timeliness, efficiency, security, and traceability of managerial decisions. The findings revealed that silence arises from the interaction of personal, structural, cultural, and external dynamics. The study concludes that organizational silence is a multi-causal phenomenon that directly impairs decision-making quality. Understanding its dimensions and impacts can help managers design effective mechanisms to reduce silence and improve decision effectiveness.
Mohamadzadeh et al. (Wed,) studied this question.