Yahaya Oshiokha USMAN

This study examined the association between organisational silence and job stress among lecturers at the University of Benin. It aimed to assess the level of organisational silence, identify its dominant dimensions, and evaluate the extent to which different forms of silence affect lecturers’ job-related stress. Using a descriptive and correlational research design, data were obtained from ninety-two (92) lecturers through a structured questionnaire. Organisational silence was assessed across four dimensions—acquiescent, defensive, prosocial, and supervisor silence climate—while job stress was measured in terms of workload-related stress, role conflict and ambiguity, job pressure and anxiety, and inadequate supervisor and peer support.
Descriptive results showed that organisational silence was generally low, with a grand mean of 2.67, whereas job stress was moderate, with an overall mean of 3.08. Prosocial silence (M = 4.09, SD = 0.64) emerged as the most prominent dimension, indicating that lecturers often withheld opinions for constructive reasons such as preserving collegial relationships or promoting workplace harmony. Although acquiescent and defensive silence were less common, they demonstrated stronger links with job stress. Regression analysis (R = 0.643, R² = 0.414, F = 15.343, p < 0.05) revealed that the combined dimensions of organisational silence significantly predicted job stress, with acquiescent silence (p = 0.001) and defensive silence (p = 0.005) identified as significant contributors.