International Journal of Health Policy and Management

International Journal of Health Policy and Management

Whistle Blowing: A Message to Leaders and Managers; Comment on “Cultures of Silence and Cultures of Voice: The Role of Whistleblowing in Healthcare Organizations”

Document Type : Commentary

Author
Edgar H. Schein
MIT Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
10.15171/ijhpm.2015.207
Abstract
This comment argues that instead of worrying about the pros and cons of whistleblowing one should focus on the more general problem of the failure of upward communication around safety and quality problems and consider what leaders and managers must do to stimulate subordinates to communicate and reward such communication. The article analyzes why safety failures occur and introduces the concept of practical drift and adaptive moves as necessary for systemic safety to be understood and better handled. It emphasizes the key role of senior leadership in creating a climate in which critical upward communication will become more likely.

Highlights

 

 

Watch the Video Summary here. 

 

Keywords
Whistleblowing
Safety
Upward Communication
Adaptive Moves
Subjects

 

 

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  • Received Date 07 November 2015
  • Revised Date 29 November 2015
  • Accepted Date 27 November 2015
  • First Published Date 01 April 2016
  • Published Date 01 April 2016