The vicious cycle of error aversion approach: the role of negative and moral emotions in enhancing organizational errors

Recent literature on error management suggested that the way organizations cope with errors depends on the different approaches they may adopt, according to their prevailing cultural models (van Dyck al, 2005). In fact, in cultures adopting an error management approach, employees effectively manage the consequences of errors and appraise them as a learning opportunity. Conversely, in cultures adopting an error aversion approach, employees a) feel strained when they realize they've made a mistake and b) tend to cover or deny it, to blame who made the wrong action (Catino, 2008; van Dyck al, 2005). To the best of our knowledge, only few studies have investigated the aversion approach of the error culture (Bauer, 2008; Harteis al, 2008; van Dyck et al, 2005) and none of them have examined its relationship with negative emotions and errors (Zhao & Olivera, 2006, Zhao, 2011). The aim of this research is to study the influence of error aversion dimensions (strain and covering up) on errors through the mediation of negative (e.g. irritation, worry, anxiety, frustration) and moral (e.g. embarrassment, guilt, shame) emotions. Results of a structural equation model on a sample of 351 employees (65% females, mean age 39 years SD=10) working in 79 teams of different organisations, attested that both error aversion dimensions (strain and covering) are associated with moral emotions, while only the strain dimension is associated with negative emotions; in turn, emotions are associated with errors. Overall, our results confirm the hypothesised relationship between error aversion approach and errors, as well the mediation role played by negative and moral emotions.