Sound of Silence

This article is about the concept of “organizational silence”. To me, it is really a subdivision of groupthink. Dissenting opinions are fearful of the disdain that will ensue when any opposing viewpoint than that of the leaders is presented. The old fable of the Emperor wearing no clothes is used as a simile to emphasize the point. More specifically, the article goes about trying to determine the cause of “organizational silence” and how it presents itself. Borrowing from previously conducted studies in other disciplines, logical conclusions are drawn out as the hypotheses. The authors try to “connect the dots” as it were. I think their aim is high, and difficult to prove it existence by it very nature. Its hard to hear a lot with everyone being all… well silent. So its existence alone is hard to define. But like the Supreme Court said with obscenity, you may not be able to define it, but you’ll know it when you see it. Or something to that effect… Anyways. I know as well as anyone that this phenomenon exists between any two people. Its more likely when one of the parties has power over the other, but it happens. I would be hard pressed to prove my own anecdotal experiences with it, but I know that I have been a party to it, as will everyone else. However, I have trouble reconciling the lack or real data with the gut feeling I have that it does happen. I know the authors try to show that it does… but it doesn’t hold up in my humble opinion, as presented.

Advertisement