Abstract:

The purpose of this research is to explore the interaction of organizational silence with personality and life satisfaction. The quantitative paradigm, including descriptive, relational, and comparative models was employed. Data were collected from 185 participants in a public university and in a public enterprise in Istanbul. Data were analyzed by correlation analysis, analysis of variance, and multi regression techniques. The findings pointed out that as acquiscent and defensive silence increased, life satisfaction significantly decreased. Defensive silence explained 3.4% of the variance on life satisfaction. When focused on personality, acquiscent silence was predicted by extraversion (17.8%) and openness to experience (2.6%). Defensive silence was predicted by extraversion (3.7%). Pro-social silence was predicted by conscientiousness (4.8%) and openness to experience (2.6%). Introverts were more likely to experienc eacquiscent and defensive silence. Whereas those who have higher scores on conscientiousness and openness to experience show most probably prosocial silence. Prosocial silence was associated with more positively personality characters compared to acquiscent and defensive silence. The predictive role of defensive silence on life satisfaction stressed that silence was not only an organizational problem but also a problem affecting the whole life of the individuals in a negative way.

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