Remaining silent or not: Is power distance a barrier for academicians


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Aşkun O. B., Bakoğlu R., Berber A.

International Conference on Social Sciences, İzmir, Türkiye, 10 - 11 Eylül 2009, ss.1-9

  • Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Özet Bildiri
  • Basıldığı Şehir: İzmir
  • Basıldığı Ülke: Türkiye
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1-9
  • Marmara Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Power distance is considered to be the extent to which individuals at lower level of a cultural hierarchy accept their lack of autonomy and authority versus power shared throughout a hierarchy. However, few studies intend to investigate whether silence at work occurs as an effect of power distance. Power distance in Turkey is considered to be at high level, and recent research in a university shows that as many as 70% of the academicians preferred to remain silent at work. This finding is somehow paradoxical as a pluralistic organization; the university is expected to be an organization, which values and allows for the expression of multiple opinions. In this study, we aim to explore the relationship between power distance and silence at work within the framework of university organizations. The research was conducted in two large sized state universities located in Istanbul.