Publications
Publications
- January 2023
- 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
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).