An examination of the relationship between organizational silence, burnout, and organizational culture

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the levels of organizational silence and burnout among teachers in high schools, middle schools, and primary schools, as well as the relationships between these variables and organizational culture. Method: In this research, the relationship between organizational silence, burnout, and organizational culture among teachers in high schools, middle schools, and primary schools was examined based on several variables, using a correlational research design. The study was conducted in 2023-2024 with 793 teachers selected through simple random sampling from high schools, middle schools, and primary schools located in Odunpazarı and Tepebaşı districts of Eskişehir. The data were collected using the Organizational Culture Scale developed by Çınar (2024), the Organizational Silence Scale developed by Dyne et al. (2003) and adapted into Turkish within the scope of this study, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Educators Survey developed by Maslach and Jackson (1981) and also adapted into Turkish in this study. Results: According to the research findings, among the cultural types observed in schools, relationship-oriented culture was found to be the most prevalent, while power-oriented culture was the least observed. Teachers' perceptions of culture varied significantly based on school type, educational background, and gender, but did not differ according to professional seniority and years of service at the current school. In terms of burnout, teachers experienced the highest level in the dimension of emotional exhaustion and the lowest in depersonalization. Burnout levels differed according to gender, educational background, and school type, but showed no significant difference according to years of service and professional seniority. Regarding organizational silence, teachers exhibited the highest levels in protective silence, followed by acquiescent silence and defensive silence. Organizational silence perceptions significantly varied according to gender, professional seniority, and school type, but not according to educational background and years of service. Achievement and competition-oriented culture, T-type culture, innovation-oriented culture, and relationship-oriented culture were found to reduce levels of burnout and silence, whereas power-oriented culture showed either a weak or negative relationship with organizational silence and burnout. Additionally, the dimensions of burnout were positively associated with acquiescent and defensive silence. Conclusion and Suggestions: In schools, relationship-oriented culture was observed most frequently, while power-oriented culture was observed the least. This suggests that social relationships and mutual respect are stronger in schools, while authoritarian structures are less prominent. Teachers' burnout levels were highest in emotional exhaustion and lowest in depersonalization, indicating that while teachers experience emotional exhaustion, they have not lost interest in their students. Teachers' organizational silence levels were highest in protective silence and lowest in defensive silence, indicating that teachers tend to remain silent to minimize potential harm to the institution and prioritize the institution's benefit. Except for the power-oriented culture sub-dimension, all other sub-dimensions of the organizational culture scale were negatively correlated with burnout, suggesting that these cultures may reduce teachers' burnout levels and increase their commitment to work. There are also significant relationships between organizational culture and organizational silence, with each culture type influencing employees' silence behaviors through different dynamics. Based on the findings, it is recommended to establish a strong organizational culture in schools, balance teachers' workloads, and provide support to reduce burnout. Organizational culture should be addressed in relation to organizational silence, and policies should be developed to minimize silence. Future research should further investigate the relationships between school culture, burnout, and organizational silence in greater depth.