Logo image
Impact of organizational culture on employee psychological safety perception: The pivotal role of trust in top management across 18 societies
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Impact of organizational culture on employee psychological safety perception: The pivotal role of trust in top management across 18 societies

Ratan J.S. Dheer, Jane Terpstra-Tong, Len Trevino, David A. Ralston, Nikos Bozionelos, Brian Tjemkes, Luis Sigala Paparella, Marian Crowley-Henry, Calvin Burns, Fabian Froese, …
International Business Review, Vol.35(1), 102523
15/02/2026

Abstract

Psychological safety Trust in top management Organizational culture Societal culture Multi-level structural equation modeling Cross Cultural Studies Cultural Anthropology Human Resources International Management Organizational Theory and Behavior
We assess the impact of organizational culture on employees' psychological safety using data from 2451 employees across 18 societies. Our multi-level structural equation models reveal that organizations that emphasize a clan culture foster significantly higher psychological safety than those that emphasize a hierarchy culture, and trust in top management mediates the effect of organizational culture on psychological safety. Additionally, macro-environmental factors, specifically a society's cultural context and governance quality, moderate the effect of trust in top management, explaining variance in psychological safety globally. Our findings make a novel contribution to the literature on psychological safety, international management, and organizational behavior. We outline vital implications for managers and provide directions for future research.
pdf
InternationalBusinessReview,2026,35,102523_Corrigendum_Bozionelos318.22 kBDownloadView
Corrigendum Open Access
pdf
InternationalBusinessReview,2026,35,1025232.60 MB
Restricted Access

Metrics

3 Record Views

Details

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this contribution

Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Citation topics
6 Social Sciences
6.3 Management
6.3.48 Organizational Behavior
Web of Science research areas
Business
Management
Logo image