Cultural Scripts of Safety: Redefining Psychological Safety Through Indigenous Practices

Building on Kusbandono et al.'s (2025) work on psychological safety in Indonesia, this research questions the universality of Western-derived psychological safety models. It investigates whether psychological safety manifests differently in collectivist cultures that emphasize group harmony and consensus, such as through Indonesia's musyawarah and gotong royong. Instead of viewing psychological safety as an individual ability to speak up, it may be about trusting the group to incorporate perspectives into collective decisions. Extending Hawsawi & Alhajri's (2025) call for culturally competent leadership in Gulf states, this ethnographic study would observe team meetings and decision-making in Indonesian and Saudi Arabian organizations to develop a culturally situated model of psychological safety. The aim is to de-center Western organizational theory and offer practical guidance tailored to diverse cultural contexts.

References:

1. Psychological Safety in Nursing: A Narrative Review of Leadership, Burnout, and Cultural Barriers to Patient Safety. Ahmad Omar Hawsawi, Sabha Theeb Alhajri (2025). Journal of Nursing Science and Professional Practice.
2. Psychological Safety in Indonesia : Conceptual Analysis and Implications for Indonesia. Danu Kusbandono, Joko Suyono, Hunik Sri Runing Sawitri, Salamah Wahyuni (2025). Proceeding of The International Conference on Business and Economics.