Which of the following is an example of organizational silence in upward communication?

The correct answer is C, Filtering.

Organizational silence means employees deliberately withholding information, opinions or concerns from those above them, usually out of fear of consequences or a belief that speaking up will change nothing. In upward communication, filtering is the selective withholding or trimming of unfavourable information as it travels up the hierarchy, so the senior person hears only what is comfortable. That is silence in action.

• A) Distortion is wrong because it alters the meaning of what is conveyed. The message still moves, but in a changed form. Silence is about holding back, not misreporting.
• B) Delay is a timing problem. Information reaches the top late, but it is not being withheld as a matter of choice.
• D) Lack of response is a failure of feedback by the receiver. It does not describe a subordinate choosing to stay quiet.

The core concept is the communication barrier cluster in organisational behaviour, and the idea of organisational silence developed by Morrison and Milliken. For Mains GS IV, this links to speaking truth to power, whistleblowing and the ethics of candour in administration.

Trap: candidates often treat distortion and filtering as the same. Distortion changes what is said; filtering removes what is said.