Inducing Error Management Culture - Evidence From Experimental Team Studies

Field studies indicate that error management culture can be beneficial for organizational performance. The question of whether and how error management culture can be induced remained unanswered. We conducted two experiments with newly formed teams, in which we aimed to induce error management culture and to explore whether we would also find beneficial effects of error management culture on performance in an experimental setting. Furthermore, we tested whether culture strength moderates the relationship between error management culture and performance. In Study 1, we used two tasks that require rational problem solving. In Study 2, we used a task that requires creative problem solving. We successfully manipulated error management culture in terms of an effect on perceived error management culture within the teams. While we did not find a direct effect of error management culture on performance, Study 2 revealed an indirect effect via communication in the teams. To our surprise, culture strength did not influence the hypothesized relationship. We discuss potential theoretical and alternative explanations for our results, and provide an outlook for future studies.

Automated summary

Field studies have shown the benefits of error management culture on organizational performance, but the question of how to induce such culture remains unanswered. Two experiments were conducted to induce error management culture in newly formed teams and explore its effects on performance in an experimental setting. The results showed that error management culture had an indirect effect on performance through communication in the teams, but culture strength did not moderate this relationship.