When work feels like family, employees keep quiet about wrongdoing

Published in: Harvard Business Review - 22 December 2020

Written by

Saera Khan and Lauren Howe

Summary

What we found: Having a family-like work culture has many benefits such as increased productivity or loyalty. But as a downside, our research shows that employees in family-like work cultures often keep quiet about the misbehavior of other colleagues.

Why it matters: Failing to report misbehavior can lead to negative consequences for the whole company. But what keeps employees from reporting others’ misbehavior? One of the main reasons why employees remain silent in light of wrongdoing is because they feel compassionate with their colleagues.

What next: Organizations should still seek a family-like work climate but also encourage a psychologically safe work environment in which employees can open up without facing serious consequences and that values honesty over blind loyalty.