Employee Silence (Brinsfield)
HR & WorkReliability: alpha 0.74–0.92 across six dimensions3 sample items
About this scale
A 16-item, six-dimensional measure of employee silence: deviant, relational, defensive, diffident, ineffectual, and disengaged silence. Captures the why of withholding voice, not just the act, and complements voice-behaviour scales.
Sample item(s)
“I remained silent at work because I was afraid of negative consequences. (defensive)”
“I remained silent at work to avoid hurting another's feelings. (relational)”
“I remained silent at work because I felt my opinion would not make a difference. (ineffectual)”
Reliability
Reported internal consistency: alpha 0.74–0.92 across six dimensions. As a rule of thumb, Cronbach’s α ≥ .70 is considered acceptable, ≥ .80 good, and ≥ .90 excellent for established measures.
Notes
Use alongside voice scales to capture asymmetries between speaking up and staying silent.
Source & citation
Brinsfield, C. T. (2013): Employee silence motives: Investigation of dimensionality and development of measures. Journal of Organizational Behavior, Vol. 34, No. 5, pp. 671–697.
Brinsfield (2013): Employee silence motives. JOB, 34(5), 671–697.
Source. Scale details are summarised from the publication cited above. Always consult the original source for the full item set, scoring, and permission to use.
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