Establishing a culture of openness: IES Perspectives on HR 2014

Robinson D | HR Network Paper mp96 | Institute for Employment Studies | Jan 2014

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It seems so obvious that a culture of openness and transparency is a ‘good thing’. If people are encouraged to speak out, they will prevent harm; make suggestions for improvement leading to a better quality product or service; come up with creative ideas – and this will lead to better organisational performance. And yet… scandals keep happening, in every sector, and it often seems to be the people we should be able to trust most who let us down hardest.

This paper looks at the need for organisations to establish a culture of openness, the drivers and practical considerations.

The paper was also published as an article in IES Perspectives on HR 2014: HR responding to threats and opportunities.