Explaining the Factors Related to Organizational Silence in Iran’s Social Security Organization and Proposing an Optimal Model (Case Study: Southeast Social Security Organization)

Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify and explain the factors related to organizational silence and to develop an optimal model tailored to the conditions of the Southeast Social Security Organization. This applied study adopted a qualitative exploratory design using grounded theory. The statistical population consisted of managers and experts with at least 15 years of experience in the Southeast Social Security Organization, selected through snowball sampling. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews with 15 experts and analyzed using MAXQDA software through three stages of open, axial, and selective coding to extract categories and develop a conceptual model. The findings revealed that organizational silence can be explained through five main dimensions: causal conditions, contextual conditions, intervening factors, strategies, and consequences. Causal conditions included eight key categories such as conservatism, lack of skills, managerial behavior, and absence of a critical climate. Contextual conditions were identified in six categories including job security and employee fear, while intervening factors comprised organizational, environmental, economic, political, and social dimensions. Consequences included reduced productivity, weakened human resources, and psychological and occupational issues, while strategies encompassed participatory, managerial, educational, and supportive approaches. The results indicate that organizational silence is a multidimensional phenomenon shaped by complex interactions among individual, organizational, and environmental factors, leading to significant negative organizational outcomes; therefore, comprehensive managerial and cultural strategies are essential to mitigate this phenomenon.