The Importance Of Psychological Safety In The Work Environment

Several prior studies argue that physical risk psychological safety may relate to inner psychological safety (Makin and Winder, 2008, Lu and Tsai, 2008, Wachter and Yorio, 2013). For example, Kahn (1990) contends that physical factor relates to the psychological availability of an employee. Kahn defines that psychological availability is the sense of having the physical, emotional or psychological resources to personally engage at a particular moment (p. 1989). Accordingly, psychological availability relates to the psychological safety feeling of an employee to get engaged with his/her work. In addition, Amponsah-Tawiah et al. (2013) in their study examine the impact of physical risk factors on employee’s safety experience. They assert that hazards in the physical work environment have a significant impact on employee’s safety experience. Hence, it may argue that physical risk psychological safety affects employee’s psychological safety as an individual. Even though Khan did not mention physical safety …show more content…
According to Probst and Estrada (2010), who investigate the moderating influence of psychological safety climate and supervisor’s enforcement of safety practice, supervisor’s enforcement of safety practice relates to individual psychological safety climate. In addition, May et al. (2004) state that the relation to a manager can give a huge impact on an employee’s perception of his/her work environment’s safety. May et al. also emphasise that interpersonal relationship between individuals will develop safety feelings of the employees as an individual. Hence, supervisor’s enforcement and interpersonal relationship between employees may lead to employee’s psychological safety. From this point of view, it may argue that a better interpersonal relationship between supervisor/manager and employee or among employees might lead to a better individual employee’s psychological