When something goes wrong at work, organizations often depend on their employees to speak up and bring the issue to light. However, it is not uncommon for employees to stay silent, even though this can be detrimental to the organization. Researchers (Sufi et al., 2024) investigated why employees may choose to remain silent, especially when they witness a colleague engaging in unethical behavior.
THE RESEARCH STUDY
The researchers conducted an experiment in which 329 participants were assigned to read a fictional scenario involving a colleague who engaged in unethical behavior. Study participants provided information on how they would respond to the scenario and how it made them feel.
The researchers found that for those who identified strongly with their organization, the unethical behavior their coworker committed would cause them to feel strong feelings of anger, shame, and anxiety. The unethical behavior – and the shame or anxiety they caused – led these employees to stay silent. They made this choice either to protect the organization or to protect themselves.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Unethical behavior within the workplace can be detrimental to both organizations and employees. Organizations may consider doing the following:
- Train employees on what constitutes unethical behavior.
- Establish clear systems and guidelines for when and how to report unethical behavior.
- Put protective measures in place for whistleblowers, such as anonymous or confidential reporting. This study found that employees can feel shame when witnessing unethical behaver; the ability to remain anonymous could minimize these negative feelings.
- Remind employees of both the personal and organizational benefits of speaking up when unethical behavior occurs.
Sufi, A. F., Raja, U., & Butt, A. N. (2024). Impact of peer unethical behaviors on employee silence: The role of organizational identification and emotions. Journal of Business Ethics, 190, 821-839.
Image credit: Unsplash+