DETERMINANTS OF ORGANISATIONAL SILENCE AMONG PROFESSIONALS IN TERTIARY HEALTHCARE INSTITUTIONS IN LAGOS, NIGERIA

C. K. OJINI; O. J. OLUWAFEMI; A. A SULAIMON

C. K. OJINI University of Lagos Business School
O. J. OLUWAFEMI University of Lagos, Faculty of Management Sciences, Department of Business Administration
A. A SULAIMON University of Lagos, Faculty of Management Sciences, Department of Business Administration

Keywords: Contextual factors, healthcare institutions, healthcare providers, individual factors, Organisational silence

Abstract

Effective communication about patients’ safety concerns through information, questions, and opinions in clinical settings is vital, especially when immediate action or decisions are required to prevent fatalities. Unfortunately, many issues are under-reported, and healthcare providers often choose to remain silent. This phenomenon of clinician silence is well recognised in healthcare, particularly in public hospitals in Nigeria, due to various individual and contextual factors that could influence employees’ silent behaviour within organisations. Therefore, this study examined conscientiousness, neuroticism, self-esteem, procedural organisational justice, ostracism, and perceived organisational support as potential individual and organisational determinants of employee silence. Cross-sectional survey design, multistage technique and convenience sampling were used to draw 226 participants from the study population, out of which 140 usable responses were obtained. The results from correlation and multiple regression analysis, conducted with SPSS version 22, showed no significant relationships between conscientiousness (r = .076; p > .05), organisational-based self-esteem (r = .031; p > .05). However, emotional stability has a positive significant influence on organisational silience (r = .171; p < .05), perceived organisational support has significant positive influence on organisational silence (r = .317**; p < .05). Workplace ostracism has a significant positive influence on organisational silence (r = .546**; p < .05). The study concludes that administrators of healthcare institutions should identify factors that significantly predict organisational silence and implement practices and policies to mitigate employees’ silent behaviours, thereby improving healthcare delivery in public hospitals in Nigeria.