The Influence of Employee Silence on Innovation Performance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60027/iarj.2026.e294346Keywords:
Employee Silence, Innovation Performance, Psychological Safety, Self-efficacy, Organizational Behavior, Employee VoiceAbstract
Background and Aims: Innovation performance is a strategic capability that determines organizational competitiveness from the perspective of the Resource-Based View (RBV) and knowledge management theory. Employee silence, defined as the intentional withholding of opinions or suggestions, undermines this capability by restricting information flow and reducing individual creativity.
Methodology: This study investigates the mechanisms linking employee silence and innovation performance, focusing on the mediating role of psychological safety and the moderating effect of self-efficacy. Data were collected from 419 employees across various Chinese industries, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test the hypotheses.
Results: The results reveal three key findings: (1) employee silence significantly reduces innovation performance directly; (2) psychological safety partially mediates this relationship, showing that silence indirectly inhibits innovation by lowering employees’ confidence in voicing ideas; and (3) self-efficacy negatively moderates the effect of psychological safety on innovation performance, such that high self-efficacy weakens the positive influence of psychological safety.
Conclusion: The study contributes theoretically by enriching organizational behavior research with a psychological mechanism and boundary condition model, and practically by providing insights for managers to foster open communication, strengthen psychological safety, and enhance employee self-efficacy. These findings extend existing literature on employee voice and innovation performance and offer actionable strategies for building supportive and innovative organizational environments.
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