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In with the New, Out with the Old: The Impact of Leader Succession on Follower Silence and the Moderating Roles of New and Former Leader Secure-Base Support

By Dr. Nate Zettna Lecturer in Organisational Behaviour & HRM, Discipline of Work and Organisational Studies, The University of Sydney Business School Friday January 26, 2024, 12:00 pm -1:00 pm Venue: Room 201, Sasin School of Management. Please register here to reserve your seat. Abstract: Research on employee silence – the withholding of thoughts, suggestions, and ideas about important work issues – remains embryonic regarding its dynamics during times of structural organizational change, such as when there are changes in leadership (i.e., leader succession). We apply followership theory to examine the notion that leader succession can serve as a relatively instant stimulus to break the enduring cycle of followers’ silence towards the leader. We also investigate how changes in leader secure-base support (support that provides a secure and safe base for followers to explore new changes and opportunities) from new and former leaders can make a key difference in shaping follower silence during leader succession. We conducted a quasi-experimental field study with a total of 107 bank branches across four time points capturing periods before and after a leadership change, with approximately half of the branches experiencing leader succession. We found that leader succession prompted a reduction in follower silence, such that followers were less likely to withhold important ideas/thoughts/information towards their new leader than their former leader. This effect was strongest when the new leader showed higher leader secure-base support and the former leader exhibited lower leader secure-base support. Our insights extend knowledge on the effects of leader succession on silence behaviors and the important role of new and former leaders’ secure-base support in reshaping silence dynamics.   For more information please contact Khun Nanthapak Pinyo at 091 479 4551, 02 218 4036 or researchseminar@sasin.edu.