Examining the antecedents of prosocial silence: a relational perspective

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the relational self-identity and prosocial silence in the context of the Egyptian public sector. It also examines the mediating effect of relational maintenance strategies among co-workers (RMSC) on the aforementioned relationship. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses a questionnaire that consists of measures adopted from existing and tested scales. A parallel mediation analysis is conducted using Sobel test for specific indirect effects in regression analysis. Findings – The findings reveal that high relational employees do not engage in prosocial silence unless they are involved in networking and shared tasks strategies. Originality/value – Prosocial silence has received limited attention despite its drastic effects in employee well-being. This study provides initial insights concerning the dynamics of social behaviours which motivate employees to avoid speaking up in order to not embarrass a workplace friend.