An examination of the associations among cultural dimensions, relational silence and stress

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between power distance, collectivism and relational silence; the associations between relational silence and stress; and the mediating role of relational silence in the link between power distance, collectivism and stress. Design/methodology/approach - The authors conducted a survey among 1,153 highly skilled employees using a self-administered questionnaire. The authors received 813 responses from a total of 1,153 individuals. Among the 813 responses, the authors excluded 81 due to incomplete data, and thus analyzed a total of 732 responses. The overall response rate was 63.4 percent. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were utilized for the analyses. Findings - The findings suggest that power distance and collectivism induce relational silence; relational silence increases stress and mediates the associations between power distance, collectivism and stress. Originality/value - The present study is the first to provide empirical evidence of a link between power distance, collectivism and relational silence; the relationship between relational silence and stress; and the role of relational silence in mediating the associations between power distance, collectivism and stress.