Publications
Publications
- 2024
- International Journal of Public Health
Psychological Safety as an Enduring Resource amid Constraints
By: Hassina Bahadurzada, Amy C. Edmondson and Michaela J. Kerrissey
Abstract
While psychological safety is recognized as valuable in healthcare, its relationship to resource constraints is not well understood. We investigate whether psychological safety mitigates the negative impact of resource constraints on employees. Leveraging longitudinal survey data collected from healthcare workers before and during the COVID-19 crisis (N = 27,240), we examine how baseline psychological safety relates to employee burnout and intent to stay over time, and then investigate this relationship relative to resource constraints (i.e., the inadequacy of staffing and tools). Using hierarchical linear models, we find that psychological safety has enduring protective benefits for healthcare workers during periods of stress, and that these benefits mitigate the negative consequences of resource constraints for burnout and turnover intent over time. These findings extend the empirical basis for psychological safety and suggest that investments in building psychological safety can foster employee resilience and organizational commitment, even when resources are strained.
Keywords
Burnout; Psychological Safety; Healthcare Administration; Health Care and Treatment; Employees; Retention; Well-being; Health Industry
Citation
Bahadurzada, Hassina, Amy C. Edmondson, and Michaela J. Kerrissey. "Psychological Safety as an Enduring Resource amid Constraints." Special Issue on Psychological Safety in Healthcare Settings. International Journal of Public Health 69 (2024).