Professor asks workers to speak up about silence

The maxim “more can be said in a moments silence than a lifetime of words” is the sort of thing that intrigues Charles Darwin University “silence professor” Ram Vemuri.

"The Ethics of Silence" co-author recently began a new project in which he plans to measure silence in workplaces throughout the Territory, and elsewhere.

“The study is designed to find out why people might choose silence instead of expressing themselves in the workplace,” Dr Vemuri said.

“We’ve designed a questionnaire to give us insights into the extent and types of silence that people exercise at work.”

Dr Vemuri said it was critical for workers to contribute to their organisational culture.

“If for some reason they feel unable to do this, the impact can often be negative for the individual as well as the organisation.

“Ultimately, our findings will help improve workplaces. They will inform approaches that encourage employees to positively contribute to the success of their organisations.”

Dr Vemuri said anyone with access to the internet could take part in the five-minute survey.

“It’s completely confidential; we won’t be able to identify anyone who participates,” he said.

To start the survey click here: W: cduehs.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bEiKGf1ugl8zWVn