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Cyber shadows and silent voices: Investigating the pathways from work strain to employee silence in India's digital work environment
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DOI：10.1080/15555240.2026.2651244.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
Employee silence has become a critical issue in India's IT sector, where high digital connectivity often coexists with emotional disengagement. This study examined how workaholism, negative rumination, and distributive injustice contribute to workplace incivility, which in turn drives silence behavior among employees. A sequential mixed-methods design was used. First, quantitative data from 213 IT professionals were analyzed using structural equation modeling, revealing that all three antecedents significantly predicted workplace incivility, which demonstrated a strong direct impact on employee silence. Next, 28 in-depth interviews were conducted to explore the lived experiences underlying silence. Cyber incivility emerged as a significant moderating force, amplifying the effects of face-to-face incivility on withdrawal, particularly in email and digital communication settings. Qualitative findings identified emotional exhaustion, perceived injustice, fear of retaliation, interpersonal disrespect, and digital exclusion as central mechanisms reinforcing silence. The results suggest that silence is often a strategic coping response to resource depletion and interpersonal risk. Organizations should implement policies promoting respectful digital communication, transparent recognition practices, and psychologically safe reporting environments. These insights are especially relevant to technology-driven workplaces where communication relies heavily on digital platforms, and relationships are shaped within hybrid or remote work settings.
Keywords:
Workplace incivility
employee silence
cyber incivility
workaholism
distributive injustice
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