The Impact of Leader-Member Exchange on Organizational Silence: A Case Study on Hotel Managements

Abstract

The power of social capital between the managers and employees particularly in labour-intensive hospitality businesses is regarded as an important criterion for their success. Managers wishing to sustain a strong social capital should pay attention to their communication with their employees. The quality and frequency of exchange between the leader and the member form the basis of the behaviors of both sides. Moving from the fact that the perception regarding the leader-member exchange is capable of shaping employee behaviours, this research addresses the behaviour of organizational silence, which is defined as the deliberate act of refraining from expressing opinions, suggestions, and positive criticisms within organizations. In the scope of this study, data were collected through questionnaires from 420 managers and 640 employees working in 4- and 5-star hotels operating in Turkey. The study findings suggest that the leader-member exchange perception, organizational silence, and selfcontrol show a statistically significant difference on the basis of gender, age, marital status, the number of stars and position of the management, and the experience and department of the employee. It was detected at the end of the analyses made to test the study hypothesis that the leader-member exchange perception of the managers and the employees was effective on the organizational silence behaviour.