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  • January 2023
  • Article
  • Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior

Psychological Safety Comes of Age: Observed Themes in an Established Literature

By: Amy C. Edmondson and Derrick P. Bransby
  • Format:Print
  • | Pages:24
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Abstract

Since its renaissance in the 1990s, psychological safety research has flourished—a boom motivated by recognition of the challenge of navigating uncertainty and change. Today, its theoretical and practical significance is amplified by the increasingly complex and interdependent nature of the work in organizations. Conceptual and empirical research on psychological safety—a state of reduced interpersonal risk—is thus timely, relevant, and extensive. In this article, we review contemporary psychological safety research by describing its various content areas, assessing what has been learned in recent years, and suggesting directions for future research. We identify four dominant themes relating to psychological safety: getting things done, learning behaviors, improving the work experience, and leadership. Overall, psychological safety plays important roles in enabling organizations to learn and perform in dynamic environments, becoming particularly relevant in a world altered by a global pandemic.

Keywords

Safety; Risk and Uncertainty; Leadership; Working Conditions; Research; Performance; Learning; Organizational Culture

Citation

Edmondson, Amy C., and Derrick P. Bransby. "Psychological Safety Comes of Age: Observed Themes in an Established Literature." Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior 10 (January 2023): 55–78.
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About The Author

Amy C. Edmondson

Technology and Operations Management
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  • Workplace Conditions By: Jill Maben, Jane Ball and Amy C. Edmondson
  • Rethink Your Employee Value Proposition: Offer Your People More Than Just Flexibility By: Mark Mortensen and Amy C. Edmondson
  • Entry Points: Gaining Momentum in Early-Stage Cross-Boundary Collaborations By: Eva Flavia Martínez Orbegozo, Jorrit de Jong, Hannah Riley Bowles, Amy Edmondson, Anahide Nahhal and Lisa Cox
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