Table 1. Differentiating silence-as-gift... | Emerald Publishing

Table 1.

Differentiating silence-as-gift from existing positive accounts of silence

Perspective	Core idea of silence	Ethical/relational emphasis	Limitations	Distinctive contribution of silence-as-gift
Bird (2002) – Moral silence	Silence as conscientious restraint to avoid moralizing or escalating conflict	Emphasizes ethics of self-restraint and avoiding harm	Still framed as withholding; does not fully theorize silence as presence or offering	Moves beyond avoidance: silence as an active, intentional giving that affirms the other rather than just refrains from harm
Bigo (2018) – Creative/ethical silence	Silence as space for creativity, ambiguity and ethical possibilities in organizations	Highlights silence as generative, not only passive	Broad but diffuse; lacks a structured model to distinguish types of ethical silence	Provides a systematic model (attentive, space-giving, supportive silence) anchored in intentionality, relation and non-return
Benozzo et al. (2019) – Resistant silence	Silence as a form of resistance or refusal within oppressive systems	Frames silence as subversive political/ethical stance	Often context-specific (oppression, marginalization); risk of over-politicizing silence	Extends beyond resistance: silence-as-gift is relational and caring, not just oppositional. It highlights positive giving, not only refusal
This paper – silence-as-gift	Silence as a non-material, ethical offering characterized by intentionality, relational orientation and absence of expected return	Integrates Levinas (responsibility), Mauss (gift), Derrida (non-return)	Risk of romanticization; requires contextual sensitivity	Establishes a new conceptual framework that reframes silence as gift-giving in organizations, with clear implications for leadership, HR and team dynamics

Perspective	Core idea of silence	Ethical/relational emphasis	Limitations	Distinctive contribution of silence-as-gift
Bird (2002) – Moral silence	Silence as conscientious restraint to avoid moralizing or escalating conflict	Emphasizes ethics of self-restraint and avoiding harm	Still framed as withholding; does not fully theorize silence as presence or offering	Moves beyond avoidance: silence as an active, intentional giving that affirms the other rather than just refrains from harm
Bigo (2018) – Creative/ethical silence	Silence as space for creativity, ambiguity and ethical possibilities in organizations	Highlights silence as generative, not only passive	Broad but diffuse; lacks a structured model to distinguish types of ethical silence	Provides a systematic model (attentive, space-giving, supportive silence) anchored in intentionality, relation and non-return
Benozzo et al. (2019) – Resistant silence	Silence as a form of resistance or refusal within oppressive systems	Frames silence as subversive political/ethical stance	Often context-specific (oppression, marginalization); risk of over-politicizing silence	Extends beyond resistance: silence-as-gift is relational and caring, not just oppositional. It highlights positive giving, not only refusal
This paper – silence-as-gift	Silence as a non-material, ethical offering characterized by intentionality, relational orientation and absence of expected return	Integrates Levinas (responsibility), Mauss (gift), Derrida (non-return)	Risk of romanticization; requires contextual sensitivity	Establishes a new conceptual framework that reframes silence as gift-giving in organizations, with clear implications for leadership, HR and team dynamics