Exploration of the Relationship between Organizational Bullying and Teachers’ Job Burnout through Organizational Silence

Organizational bullying and organizational silence as organizational phenomena can lead to burnout and psychological stress in people. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the effect of organizational bullying on teachers’ job burnout through the mediating role of organizational silence.

To achieve this goal, a descriptive-correlational method was employed, relying on structural equation modeling. The study population consisted of all female elementary school teachers in Kermanshah City. A sample of 275 teachers was selected using the cluster sampling method based on the Krejcie and Morgan table. Data were collected through three questionnaires measuring organizational bullying, organizational silence, and teacher burnout, with reported reliabilities of 0.876, 0.865, and 0.898, respectively, based on Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Data analysis utilized descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean) and inferential statistics (correlation coefficient, Sobel test).

The findings revealed that organizational bullying has a significant and positive effect on both organizational silence and teacher burnout. Additionally, organizational silence has a positive and meaningful impact on teacher burnout. Furthermore, organizational bullying has a positive and significant impact on teacher burnout through organizational silence as a mediator.

According to the results of the study, it can be concluded that establishing an atmosphere free from threats and bullying in schools can not only lead to the formation of a space for greater interaction and participation of teachers in school affairs but can also help to reduce job burnout among them.