Employee Silence and Psychological Safety: Insights from an Aviation Company with Broader Organizational Applications

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18089/tms.20250207

Keywords:

Employee Silence, Psychological Safety, Upward Communication, Aviation, Well-being

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between psychological safety and different types of silence — defensive, diffident, relational, ineffectual, and deviant — within the context of employee-supervisor interactions. Additionally, it examines the impact of sociodemographic variables on the manifestation of silence and its association with psychological safety. The research included 486 employees from a Portuguese aviation company. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods with SmartPLS. The results indicate a negative correlation between psychological safety and all types of silence, suggesting that psychologically safe work environments reduce employees' tendency to withhold concerns. Furthermore, significant effects of sex, education, and seniority were observed in the adoption of silence. Based on these findings, the study proposes innovative strategies to enhance psychological safety and mitigate silence, fostering a more open environment for communication, innovation, and active employee participation.

Author Biographies

  • Daniel Costa Pacheco, CEEAplA, University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal

    Daniel Costa Pacheco is a researcher at the Center of Applied Economic Studies of the Atlantic (CEEAplA - FCT research center), a certified economist by the Order of Economists, and a post-doctoral student in Economic and Business Sciences at the University of the Azores. He completed his Ph.D. in Economic and Business Sciences at the University of the Azores in 2023 and obtained a Master’s degree in the same field in 2015. He holds Bachelor's degrees in Public Relations and Communication, and in Sociology. He has published several works in Economics and Management.

  • Ana Isabel Damião de Serpa Arruda Moniz, CEEAplA, School of Business and Economics, University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal

    Ana Isabel Damião de Serpa Arruda Moniz is an Associate Professor at the University of the Azores and a researcher at the Center of Applied Economics Studies of the Atlantic (CEEAplA - FCT research center). She specializes in management and tourism, holding a Ph.D. in Economics and Business Sciences from the University of the Azores and a Master’s in Business Sciences from ISCTE - University Institute of Lisbon. Her research focuses on consumer behavior, sustainable tourism, and tourist satisfaction. Currently, she coordinates the Management Department at the School of Business and Economics and the Master in Tourism Destination Management.

  • Suzana Nunes Caldeira, CICS.UAc/CICS.NOVA.UAc, School of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal

    Suzana Nunes Caldeira is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, University of the Azores. She is an integrated member of CUIP (a research center funded by FCT) and a collaborative member of CICS.NOVA.UAc (another FCT-funded research center). She earned her degree in Psychology from the University of Lisbon in 1986 and completed her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology at the University of the Azores in 2000. Currently, she serves as Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at the University of the Azores. Her research interests include maladaptive behavior, educational intervention, and at-risk groups. Suzana Caldeira actively participates in research projects focusing on autism, higher education transitions, and domestic violence.

  • Osvaldo Dias Lopes da Silva, CICS.UAc/CICS.NOVA.UAc, School of Science and Technology, University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal

    Osvaldo Dias Lopes da Silva is an Assistant Professor at the School of Science and Technology at the University of the Azores and an integrated member of the Interdisciplinary Centre of Social Sciences (CICS.NOVA.UAc - FCT-funded research center). He holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics, specializing in Probability and Statistics, from the University of the Azores. His current research interests include multivariate data analysis, probabilities and statistics, cluster analysis, validation of clustering structures, and data analysis applied to Social and Human Sciences, particularly in sustainable tourism, senior tourism, consumer behavior, and organizational behavior.

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Published

24.07.2025

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Vol. 21 No. 2 (2025)

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Business/Management: Research Papers

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How to Cite

Pacheco, D. C., Moniz, A. I. D. de S. A., Caldeira, S. N., & Silva, O. D. L. da . (2025). Employee Silence and Psychological Safety: Insights from an Aviation Company with Broader Organizational Applications. Tourism & Management Studies, 21(2), 97-111. https://doi.org/10.18089/tms.20250207

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