AHRQ Patient Safety Network

Organizational culture as a source of high reliability. Classic icon

Weick KE. Calif Manage Rev. 1987;29:112-127.

The author proposes that, as organizations and their technologies have become more complex and more susceptible to accidents, they must act to increase human complexity to match the system complexity. Using examples from air traffic control and NASA, Weick proposes that organizations should focus on improving communication among individuals and encouraging appropriate delegation of responsibility. The author also promotes praising reliability within the organization. Finally, the author describes the importance of storytelling in organizations, which allows people to better know their system, its potential errors, and how to handle errors in the future.