A ‘No Blame’ Approach to Organizational Learning |
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Authors: | Bernardino Provera Andrea Montefusco Anna Canato |
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Affiliation: | 1. General Electric Healthcare, Dubai, UAE Email: bernardino.provera@ge.com;2. Bocconi University, SDA Bocconi School of Management, via Bocconi 8, 20136, Milano, Italy Email: andrea.montefusco@unibocconi.it;3. IéSEG School of Management Lille‐Paris, Socle de la Grande Arche 1, Parvis de La Defénse, 92044 La Defénse, France Email: a.canato@ieseg.fr |
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Abstract: | In high‐reliability organizations (HROs) even minor errors can seriously hinder the very existence of the firm and the safety of employees and customers. Field studies have shown that HROs encourage the reporting of errors and near misses, exploiting these incidents to improve their operative processes. In this paper, we describe this practice as a ‘no blame’ approach to error management, and link it to learning theory, showing how no blame practices can enhance organizational learning. By taking a cognitive perspective of organizations, we draw on existing contributions and on a set of empirical case studies to discuss the characteristics of no blame practices, and their applicability in traditional, non‐HROs. Our findings show that, in exploiting information from error‐reporting, no blame practices are beneficial in environments where learning and reliability issues are particularly relevant. Empirical evidence suggests that a no blame approach can be extremely constructive for organizations that want to enhance their learning processes. We conclude that a no blame approach is a valuable way to achieve an organization that has flexibility and variability. However, no blame practices imply a set of organizational issues and costs that pose significant challenges to firms operating in non‐high‐reliability settings. The findings from our study contribute to the literature on HROs and organizational learning. |
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