Error aversion or management? Exploring the impact of culture at the sharp-end of production in a mega-project

Matthews, Jane; Love, Peter E.D.; Ika, Lavagnon A.; Fang, Weili

doi:10.1016/j.dibe.2022.100074

Cited by 16 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Second, in this study we explored open and blame EMC perceptions simultaneously as separate concepts, in line with van Dyck et al (2005). Prior research has predominantly studied the open facet, implicitly inferring information about the blame facet (van Dyck et al, 2005;Klamar et al, 2022;Matthews et al, 2022). Our results show that there is a limited correlation between perceptions of an open and blame EMC-professionals can perceive themselves to work in an open and a blame EMC at the same time.…”

Section: Theoretical Contributionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…Overall, we found fewer studies focusing specifically on a blame EMC (and related concepts), compared to research on an open EMC. The studies by Fruhen and Keith (2014) and Matthews et al (2022) are two exceptions, showing that in a blame EMC, errors are actually more likely to occur, although professionals are not more likely to manage these errors, for example, by learning. Further, working in a blame EMC is associated with negative emotions of fear and stress resulting from blame and punishment (Gorini et al, 2012;Matthews et al, 2022), suggesting a greater likelihood for strong negative emotions to adversely affect error learning.…”

Section: Blame Emc Perceptions As Moderatormentioning

confidence: 98%

“…The studies by Fruhen and Keith (2014) and Matthews et al (2022) are two exceptions, showing that in a blame EMC, errors are actually more likely to occur, although professionals are not more likely to manage these errors, for example, by learning. Further, working in a blame EMC is associated with negative emotions of fear and stress resulting from blame and punishment (Gorini et al, 2012;Matthews et al, 2022), suggesting a greater likelihood for strong negative emotions to adversely affect error learning. We were unable to identify studies that explicitly link perceptions of a blame EMC to error type and time pressure with regard to (error) learning; however, the theoretical logic maintains that the negative relationships predicted in Hypotheses 1b and 1d are likely to be exacerbated when professionals perceive the EMC to be one of blame.…”

Section: Blame Emc Perceptions As Moderatormentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Our findings add to prior research that has established a direct positive relationship of an open EMC and (error) learning (i.e., Grohnert et al, 2019;Smeets et al, 2022), showing that values and beliefs around learning from error can have a direct as well as a moderating effect in the face of conditions that make learning from errors challenging. Moreover, we add to the limited prior research on these interactions (i.e., Stefaniak and Robertson, 2010;Matthews et al, 2022;Zhao et al, 2022). We therefore propose taking into account perceptions of the work environment as a moderator in studies on factors that drive and/or inhibit error learning.…”

Section: Theoretical Contributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mitigating work conditions that can inhibit learning from errors: Benefits of error management climate perceptions

2023

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IntroductionProfessionals do not always learn from their errors; rather, the way in which professionals experience errors and their work environment may not foster, but can rather inhibit error learning. In the wake of a series of accounting scandals, including Royal Ahold in Netherlands, Lehman Brothers in the United States, and Wirecard in Germany, within the context of financial auditing, we explore four audit-specific conditions at the workplace that could be negatively associated with learning: small error consequences, routine-type errors, negative emotions, and high time pressure. Then, we examine how perceptions of an open or blame error management climate (EMC) moderate the negative relationship between the four work conditions and learning from errors.MethodsUsing an experiential questionnaire approach, we analyze data provided by 141 Dutch auditors across all hierarchical ranks from two audit firms.ResultsOur results show that open EMC perceptions mitigate the negative relationship between negative emotions and error learning, as well as the negative relationship between time pressure and error learning. While we expected that blame EMC perceptions would exacerbate the negative relationship between negative emotions and error learning, we find a mitigating effect of low blame EMC perceptions. Further, and contrary to our expectations, we find that blame EMC perceptions mitigate the negative relationship between small error consequences and error learning, so that overall, more error learning takes place regardless of consequences when participants experience a blame EMC. Post-hoc analyses reveal that there is in fact an inverted- U-shaped relationship between time pressure and error learning.DiscussionWe derive several recommendations for future research, and our findings generate specific implications on how (audit) organizations can foster learning from errors.

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Section: Theoretical Contributionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Section: Blame Emc Perceptions As Moderatormentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Blame Emc Perceptions As Moderatormentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Theoretical Contributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mitigating work conditions that can inhibit learning from errors: Benefits of error management climate perceptions

2023

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“…Error management is a difficult and complex process, particularly in today's dynamic organizational environment (Bauer and Mulder, 2013;Reason, 2000). Error management is influenced by several individual factors and the culture of organizations (Deng et al, 2022;Matthews et al, 2022). Thus, from the outset, an error management strategy will be facilitated, if it exists: (1) A general expectation that errors will occur; if individuals assume that errors do occur and this is accepted and natural thinking, then error management is facilitated because individuals are prepared to see errors when they do occur.…”

Section: Error Management Facilitatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strategic perspective of error management, the role of leadership, and an error management culture: a mediation model

Oliveira

Santos

Ratten

2022

JEFAS

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PurposeErrors are inevitable, resulting from the human condition itself, system failures and the interaction of both. It is essential to know how to deal with their occurrence, managing them. However, the negative tone associated with them makes it difficult for most organizations to talk about mistakes clearly and transparently, for fear of being harmed, preventing their detection, treatment and recovery. Consequently, errors are not managed, remaining accumulated in the system, turning into successive failures. Organizations need to recognize the inevitability of errors, making the system robust, through leadership and an organizational culture of error management. This study aims to understand the role of these influencing variables in an error management approach.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper methodology of a quantitative nature based on a questionnaire survey that analyses error management, leadership and the organizational culture of error management of 380 workers in Portuguese companies.FindingsThe results demonstrate that leadership directly influences error management and indirectly through the organizational culture of error management, giving this last variable a mediating role.Originality/valueThe study covers companies from different sectors of activity on a topic that is little explored in Portugal, but part of the daily life of organizations, which should deserve greater attention from directors and managers, as they assume a privileged position to promote and develop error management mechanisms. Error management must be the daily work of leaders. This study contributes to theoretical knowledge and business practice on error management.

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Quality II: A new paradigm for construction

Love,

Matthews,

Porter

et al. 2023

Developments in the Built Environment

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Error aversion or management? Exploring the impact of culture at the sharp-end of production in a mega-project

Cited by 16 publications

References 41 publications

Mitigating work conditions that can inhibit learning from errors: Benefits of error management climate perceptions

Mitigating work conditions that can inhibit learning from errors: Benefits of error management climate perceptions

Strategic perspective of error management, the role of leadership, and an error management culture: a mediation model

Quality II: A new paradigm for construction

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