Philippine E-Journals

A Critical Examination of Literatures on Psychological Safety

Rafael Paolo C. Ireneo | Shirley G. De Chavez

 

Abstract:

Psychological safety [PS] was introduced in the 90s, and is a term popularized by Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmonson in a study conducted among medical teams in hospitals. PS is an environment of being able to express one’s self without fear of negative consequences such as embarrassment, and ridicule on self image, status or even career (Kahn 1990 as cited in Edmonson 2003). PS enhances sense of self-worth because it overpowers feelings of rejection and negative impacts on self-image whenever self-expression is exercised in the workplace. PS increases morale and self-confidence of members of a team, without having to be personally close to one another. Subsequent researches concluded that greater trust and respect were developed among teams in workplaces of varied settings. This paper is a literature review on various studies and applications of psychological safety. Using literatures published in scholarly journals from 2009 to 2010, the review revealed that many industries (e.g. construction, maritime, healthcare and nursing, textile) have already acknowledged PS to be important. Moreover, there are variables that impact PR and could help managers enhance PS of their subordinates. Researchers may use statistical techniques to examine the significance of these variables on PS, which in turn may enhance organizational effectiveness of employees.