Trust in leaders and employee silence behaviour: Evidence from higher education institutions in Indonesia

BACKGROUND: It is important for decision-makers such as leaders to be aware of employee silence behaviour within
organizations. Failure to see this phenomenon tends to reduce the quality of information regarding potential issues in the
organizations.
OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effect of trust in leaders on employee silence behaviour and the mediating role of
organizational commitment within this relationship.
METHODS: Data were collected from academicians working at private higher education institutions within an Indonesia
city. Relying on the social exchange theory, the current study tested the hypotheses through the analysis of partial least square
–structural equation modeling (PLS–SEM).
RESULTS: Findings confirmed that trust in leaders positively affects organizational commitment and negatively affects
employee silence behaviour. Furthermore, results suggested that organizational commitment fully mediates the link between
trust in leaders and employee silence behaviour.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings present a valuable contribution for scholars and managers in understanding the mechanism
underlying the relationship between trust in leaders and employee silence behaviour, especially in non-profit organizational
settings such as higher education institutions in Indonesia