Psychologically (Un)Safe Teams: The Risks of Non-Inclusive Team Members

Abstract: Fostering psychological safety is critical for promoting learning, innovation, and performance in organizations. In the present research, we deepen our understanding of psychological safety by isolating how team member inclusivity affects psychological safety. Specifically, we reveal the detrimental effect of non-inclusive team members for psychological safety. In our longitudinal study, we integrate theories of group composition and negativity bias into the study of psychological safety, showing that while psychological safety can be fostered by higher overall team inclusivity, the presence of even a single non-inclusive team member is enough to significantly reduce psychological safety. Notably, the detrimental effect of a non-inclusive member cannot be overcome by other more inclusive members. Our findings offer insight into the dynamics between inclusion and psychological safety and implications for how organizations can mitigate the harmful effects of non-inclusivity at work.

Keywords: psychological safety, inclusion, team, negativity, group