Political Distance and Incivility: The Ideological Roots of Workplace Silence

Year 2025, Volume: 6 Issue: 4, 600 - 628, 27.12.2025

Hakan Baltacı

https://doi.org/10.54733/smar.1807183

Abstract

This study examines the effect of employees’ perceptions of political ideological distance on organizational silence through political identity–based incivility, as well as the moderating role of organizational identification in this relationship. The main purpose is to reveal the micro-level reflections of political polarization on organizational interaction and communication processes. Data were collected from 241 employees working in the public and private sectors in Turkey through an online survey. The validity of the scales was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis, and the hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling (AMOS). The findings show that political distance does not have a significant direct effect on employee silence; however, this effect emerges indirectly through political identity–based incivility. In contrast, the moderating role of organizational identification in this relationship was not supported. The results indicate that political polarization shapes employees’ expression and silence behaviors not only at the societal level but also within organizations. Accordingly, the study provides both a theoretical and practical framework for managing ideological diversity, preventing silence culture, and fostering trust-based communication in organizations.

Keywords

political ideology , political dissimilarity-based workplace incivility , organizational silence , organizational identification

Politik Uzaklık ve Nezaketsizlik: İşyerinde Sessizliğin İdeolojik Kökleri

Abstract

Günümüzde artan toplumsal ve politik kutuplaşma yalnızca makro düzeydeki politik süreçleri değil, örgüt içi ilişkileri, iletişim dinamiklerini ve çalışan davranışlarını da etkileme potansiyeline sahiptir. Bu araştırmanın amacı da politik kutuplaşmanın örgüt içi etkileşim ve iletişim süreçleri üzerindeki mikro düzey yansımalarını ortaya koymaktır. Araştırmada çalışanların politik ideolojik uzaklık algılarının örgütsel sessizlikle nasıl ilişkilendiğini incelemektedir. Ayrıca bu ilişkide politik ideolojiye dayalı nezaketsizliğin aracılık rolünü ve örgütsel özdeşleşmenin olası düzenleyici etkisini değerlendirmektedir. Veriler Türkiye’de kamu ve özel sektörde görev yapan 241 çalışanla çevrimiçi anket yöntemiyle toplanmıştır. Ölçeklerin geçerliği doğrulayıcı faktör analiziyle, hipotezler ise yapısal eşitlik modeli (AMOS) kullanılarak test edilmiştir. Bulgular, politik uzaklığın çalışan sessizliği üzerinde doğrudan anlamlı bir etkisinin bulunmadığını, ancak bu etkinin politik kimliğe dayalı nezaketsizlik aracılığıyla dolaylı biçimde ortaya çıktığını göstermiştir. Buna karşılık, örgütsel özdeşleşmenin bu ilişkideki düzenleyici rolü desteklenmemiştir. Elde edilen sonuçlar, politik kutuplaşmanın yalnızca toplumsal değil, örgütsel düzeyde de çalışanların ifade ve sessizlik davranışlarını şekillendirdiğini göstermektedir. Bu doğrultuda araştırma hem kuramsal hem de örgütlerde ideolojik çeşitliliğin yönetimi, sessizlik kültürünün önlenmesi ve güven temelli iletişim ortamlarının geliştirilmesi için pratik bir çerçeve sunmaktadır.

Keywords

politik ideoloji , politik ideolojiye dayalı işyeri nezaketsizliği , örgütsel sessizlik , örgütsel özdeşleşme

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