Psychological safety: case study on its relationship with team performance

Mesquita, Joyce Silva; Castro, Vinícius Rennó

doi:10.22167/2675-6528-202600993

Article

August 05, 2026

Psychological safety: case study on its relationship with team performance

Joyce Silva Mesquita; Vinícius Rennó Castro

DOI: 10.22167/2675-6528-202600993

Article prepared by the ResumeAI tool, an artificial intelligence solution developed by the Pecege Institute focused on synthesis and writing.

Abstract

Psychological safety has emerged as a crucial factor in the corporate environment, influencing engagement, learning, and collective performance. The study aimed to compare the levels of psychological safety among teams in a multinational company with different performance outcomes, seeking to identify patterns, discrepancies, and managerial implications for people management. A quantitative and descriptive approach was adopted, employing documentary research to collect secondary and anonymized data from the GPTW 2024 climate survey and internal performance reports from the same year. Based on Clark’s four-stage model of psychological safety, climate survey questions were classified, and an aggregated measure was constructed for analysis by function and organizational unit. The results revealed that items related to psychological safety were primarily concentrated in the inclusion and contribution stages, due to the structure of the climate survey. More administrative roles exhibited higher levels of psychological safety, while operational and technical areas recorded lower indices and a higher incidence of unrated employees. Joint analysis demonstrated a consistent association between higher levels of psychological safety and better performance outcomes, as well as greater maturity in management rituals. It was concluded that psychological safety represents a structuring element for high-performing teams, reinforcing its central role in building productive environments and in the maturity of people management processes, and should be considered in leadership practices and organizational development processes.

Keywords: Performance appraisal; Organizational climate; Engagement; Leadership; Multinational.

1. Introduction

In a contemporary corporate scenario, characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, often described as a VUCA world (Bennis and Burt, 1985), organizations face the pressing challenge of cultivating and maintaining engaged, productive, and resilient teams. The ability for agile adaptation to changes, creativity in the pursuit of innovative solutions, and readiness to respond to challenges imposed by dynamic markets are essential pillars for organizational sustainability and success. In this context, psychological safety emerges as a critical factor, directly influencing employees’ willingness to share ideas, take interpersonal risks, and contribute innovations. Furthermore, it is intrinsically linked to talent retention and the preservation of institutional knowledge, as professionals who feel safe develop a greater sense of belonging and connection to the company, which, in turn, positively impacts commitment and reduces turnover intention by approximately 27% (Frazier, 2017; Clarke et al., 2025).

The relevance of the concept of psychological safety was widely discussed by Amy Edmondson (1999), who defines it as the shared belief that the work environment is safe for interpersonal expression. Edmondson highlights that, in environments where people feel free to speak without fear of reprisal or embarrassment, there is greater openness to continuous learning. This stance is fundamental because errors cease to be seen as individual failures and begin to be treated as opportunities for growth and improvement. Such a perspective favors experimentation, the exchange of different points of view, and the collaborative construction of creative solutions, essential elements for innovation and organizational adaptation. Conversely, when the climate is one of punishment or judgment, employees tend to remain silent, avoiding contributing new ideas or questioning established practices, which severely limits the team’s potential for evolution and collective performance (Edmondson, 1999).

A team’s psychological safety is a construct that can be diagnosed and developed in a structured way, as proposed by Timothy R. Clark (2020). The author presents a sequential model composed of four stages that represent different levels of maturity in psychologically safe environments. The first is Inclusion Safety, where individuals feel accepted and respected by the group. This is followed by Learning Safety, which allows experimentation, asking questions, and making mistakes without fear of punishment. The third stage is Contribution Safety, where collaborators feel valued for their skills and are encouraged to collaborate. Finally, Challenge Safety encourages questioning the status quo and proposing changes, even in the face of established hierarchies or norms. This model offers a valuable practical tool for diagnosing the organizational environment, being essential for guiding development actions, promoting more inclusive and innovative cultures, and ensuring that collective potential is fully leveraged (Clark, 2020).

In parallel, performance management is described by Anthony and Dearden (1980) as the process by which management ensures that the organization executes its strategies effectively and efficiently. In contemporary times, Adler (2023) points out that, in addition to ensuring the execution of the existing strategy, modern performance management also involves influencing employee behavior and feeding back into the strategic formulation process. Models such as the Performance Pyramid by Cross and Lynch (1990) illustrate how top strategic objectives are broken down into operational metrics, integrating financial and non-financial indicators into a hierarchical structure. Traditionally, individual performance appraisal focuses on objective indicators of productivity and quantifiable actions, as well as subjective assessments of work quality and quantity (Viswesvaran and Ones, 2000). However, the influence of psychological safety on these performance outcomes is not always explicitly analyzed, which represents a significant gap in understanding organizational effectiveness.

The justification for this research lies in the growing appreciation for mental health at work, especially in dynamic and demanding corporate environments. This aspect gained even more relevance with the update of Regulatory Standard No. 1 (NR-1) in Brazil, which began to require companies to implement measures aimed at managing psychosocial risks in the workplace. Thus, investigating this theme will contribute to the improvement of management and team development practices and to compliance with current legal requirements. Furthermore, research such as that by Mahmoud et al. (2021) and Edmondson (1999) indicates that psychological safety enhances engagement, supports continuous learning, and fosters the formation of high-performance teams, reinforcing its strategic role for people management and talent retention. Given this context, the general objective of the research was to compare the levels of psychological safety among teams in a multinational company with different performance results, seeking to identify patterns, discrepancies, and relevant managerial implications for people management and organizational development.

2. Material and Methods

The present research adopted a case study methodological approach, following Yin’s (2014) guidelines, which emphasizes the empirical investigation of contemporary phenomena in their real context. Regarding the nature of the data and procedures, the study was classified as quantitative and descriptive. The quantitative approach involved the numerical analysis of organizational indicators, while the descriptive nature sought to observe, record, and correlate phenomena without direct researcher interference, aligning with the guidelines of Bigaton et al. (2024). This combination allowed for an in-depth analysis of the relationship between psychological safety and team performance.

The study was conducted in a multinational company in the ingredients and flavors sector, with operations established in various regions of Brazil. The organization has three manufacturing units in the State of São Paulo, in addition to plants in Minas Gerais, Goiás, and Amazonas, and a central office. The data collection and analysis period comprised the year 2024, using information referring to this period. The main unit of analysis was the teams, with the data being aggregated and compared by function and by organizational unit, allowing for the identification of specific patterns and discrepancies.

The total population of collaborators in Brazil, during the research period, was approximately 1,400 individuals, including employees hired under the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT), third-party contractors, interns, and young apprentices. The sample for the 2024 GPTW climate survey consisted of 901 employees, representing 64% of the organization’s total population in Brazil. For the analysis, averages of positions with five or more respondents were considered, ensuring confidentiality and minimum data representativeness.

Data collection was carried out through documentary research, according to the methodology proposed by Flick (2012), using internal reports produced for management purposes. The main data collection instrument was the report of the GPTW 2024 climate survey. This survey, applied biennially by an external provider, is standardized to allow comparisons between different companies and contained 63 questions. These questions were individually evaluated to identify their relationship with the concepts of psychological safety.

In addition to the climate survey, the internal performance reports for 2024 were used. These documents contained individual performance evaluations consolidated in the company’s corporate system. The use of these reports allowed for the cross-referencing of psychological safety perception and formal performance results, enabling comparison between different organizational units and functions. It is important to note that the survey exclusively used secondary and anonymized data, with no possibility of individual identification of employees.

The documents used in the research, their origins, and the indicators extracted for analysis are synthesized in Table 1, which details the document type, the responsible sector, the objective for the research, and the specific indicators that were extracted to compose the study’s database.

Table 1. Documents used in the research

Document Type	Responsible Sector	Research Objective	Extracted indicators
2024 Results of the “GPTW” Climate Survey	Human Resources	Identification of questions related to psychological safety and their respective answers	Psychological safety level of teams
2024 Performance Reports	Human Resources	Positioning of teams evaluated for performance	Performance Evaluation by Function and Unit

Source: Original research data

The first stage of the research execution consisted of identifying the GPTW climate survey questions related to the construct of psychological safety. To this end, the 63 questions were examined individually and classified based on the theoretical models of Edmondson (1999), which defines psychological safety as the belief of a safe environment for interpersonal expression, and Clark (2020), which proposes four evolutionary stages: Inclusion, Learning, Contribution, and Challenge. As a result, 26 questions, corresponding to 41% of the total, were identified as relevant to psychological safety.

After identifying the questions, the consolidation and calculation of the average psychological safety scores were carried out. The responses, originally recorded on a scale of 0 to 100, were grouped by function and by organizational unit. This initial analysis step allowed for the establishment of an overview of psychological safety perceptions in different areas and locations of the company, serving as a basis for subsequent comparisons with performance results.

The organization’s performance appraisal process, fundamental for contextualizing performance data, occurred annually and was composed of sequential phases. Initially, goals and expectations were defined. Then, there was continuous monitoring with formal and informal conversations. The formal appraisal was conducted in internal systems, including self-assessment and manager assessment, considering results and behaviors. Subsequently, calibration between managers and Human Resources took place, using the Nine-In-Box matrix, and finally, feedback was provided for employee development. Performance was classified into five categories, from “Did not meet expectations” to “Significantly exceeded expectations”.

The collected data were treated through descriptive quantitative analysis, mainly using the calculation of means, weightings, and comparative analyses between organizational groupings. To increase the analytical representativeness of the functions, a relative weight calculation was performed, obtained by multiplying the psychological safety mean by the number of respondents in each area, followed by the percentage analysis of each function’s contribution to the total sample. All calculations and data consolidations were performed with the aid of Microsoft Excel.

In a later stage, cross-analyses were performed between psychological safety levels and the distribution of performance evaluations. This comparison was made both by function and by organizational unit, allowing for the identification of patterns, convergences, and divergences among the analyzed variables. The objective was to understand how psychological safety levels related to team performance results, contributing to a broader understanding of organizational effectiveness.

The ethical procedures were rigorously observed, ensuring the exclusive use of secondary and anonymized data, with no possibility of individual identification of collaborators. The analyzed reports were made available upon formal authorization from the organization, ensuring the confidentiality of information and its restricted use for academic purposes. There was no direct intervention or interaction with participants throughout the study, preserving the integrity and privacy of those involved.

The research presented some important methodological limitations. The impossibility of investigating causal relationships between psychological safety and performance stemmed mainly from the completeness and structure of the available data. The GPTW survey questions did not address all stages of psychological safety proportionally, and the data were made available only at an aggregate level by function and unit, which reduced the number of analytical units and the execution of more robust statistical analyses, hindering any causal inference. Such factors reinforce the need for complementary instruments and more granular databases for subsequent studies.

3. Results and Discussion

The analysis of the results of the present research, conducted in a multinational company in the ingredients and flavors sector, revealed significant patterns in the relationship between psychological safety and team performance, offering valuable insights for people management and organizational development. The adopted methodology, which combined documentary research with descriptive quantitative analysis, allowed for an in-depth understanding of employee perceptions and performance results, albeit with the limitations inherent in the nature of secondary and aggregated data.

The initial stage of the analysis consisted of identifying the GPTW climate survey questions that related to the construct of psychological safety, according to the theoretical models of Edmondson (1999) and Clark (2020). Of the 63 original questions, 26 (equivalent to 41%) were classified as pertinent to psychological safety. This classification, although essential for delimiting the scope of the research, revealed a predominance of items associated with the stages of Inclusion Safety and Contribution Safety, according to Clark’s (2020) typology. Inclusion Safety refers to the perception of acceptance and belonging to the group, where individuals feel comfortable being themselves without fear of being marginalized or judged. Contribution Safety, on the other hand, concerns the belief that each person’s ideas and work are valued and that there is freedom to contribute actively. The greater representation of these stages in the climate survey suggests that the instrument tends to capture more basic and intermediate aspects of psychological safety, focusing on the individual’s acceptance and valuation within the team.

On the other hand, the Learning Safety and Challenge Safety stages, which represent more advanced levels of maturity in psychologically safe environments, showed a lower incidence of questions. Learning Safety, which involves the freedom to experiment, ask questions, and make mistakes without fear of punishment, and Challenge Safety, which encourages questioning the *status quo* and proposing changes, are crucial for innovation and continuous development (Clark, 2020). The underrepresentation of these stages in the GPTW climate survey may indicate a limitation of the instrument itself in capturing the depth of psychological safety required for high-performance and innovative environments. Edmondson (1999) argues that true psychological safety is manifested in a team’s ability to openly discuss errors and learn from them, without resulting in embarrassment or retaliation. If the questions do not sufficiently explore this dimension, the organization may have an incomplete view of its level of psychological safety, especially regarding its teams’ capacity to innovate and adapt.

This gap in assessment may have significant practical implications. An organization that bases its psychological safety development strategies predominantly on data emphasizing inclusion and contribution may be missing the opportunity to foster a more robust culture of learning and challenge. To overcome this limitation, it would be crucial to complement climate research with other instruments or methods, such as focus groups or interviews, that allow for a deeper exploration of employees’ perceptions of freedom to make mistakes, question, and innovate. The absence of a comprehensive assessment of Clark’s (2020) four stages may lead to a false sense of security, where employees feel accepted but still hesitate to take interpersonal risks that are essential for organizational growth and transformation.

The subsequent analysis focused on the perception of psychological safety by function and by organizational unit, revealing important variations that deserve detailed attention. Regarding functions, it was observed that administrative areas such as Human Resources, Business Development, and Purchasing presented the highest averages of psychological safety. These results suggest that, in these departments, employees perceive a work environment that is more open, trustworthy, and with greater support for expressing ideas and engagement. The nature of the work in these functions, often characterized by activities that demand intense collaboration, information exchange, and less formal hierarchy compared to operational areas, may naturally favor the construction of a psychologically safe environment. The literature corroborates this observation, indicating that teams with more complex and interdependent tasks tend to develop greater psychological safety to manage the uncertainty and ambiguity inherent in their work (Edmondson, 1999). The ability to express concerns and seek help without fear of appearing incompetent is vital in these contexts, and the high scores in these functions indicate that this condition is present.

In contrast, functions of a more operational and technical nature, such as Engineering, Quality, Health and Safety (QHS) and Customer Service, registered the lowest levels of psychological safety. Manufacturing and Supply Chain also showed low averages, although with a significantly larger number of respondents, which gives them a greater relative weight in the general sample, as shown in Table 8. This disparity suggests that the nature of the work, often focused on compliance, rigid processes, and error control, may create an environment less conducive to interpersonal expression and risk-taking. In sectors where physical safety and regulatory compliance are paramount, there may be a tendency to penalize errors, which, while understandable from an operational standpoint, can inhibit psychological safety. Frazier et al. (2017) highlight that environments with high error aversion can lead to “organizational silence,” where employees avoid sharing ideas, concerns, or reporting problems for fear of retaliation or judgment. This, in turn, can compromise the team’s ability to learn and innovate, negatively impacting long-term performance.

The high representativeness of functions such as Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and QSE in the sample, combined with their low psychological safety averages, makes them priorities for organizational interventions. The practical implication is that the company needs to develop specific strategies to foster psychological safety in these areas, which may include leadership training focused on open communication, creation of safe channels for feedback and suggestions, and the promotion of a culture of learning from mistakes, rather than just punishing them. The leadership in these areas must be empowered to understand that psychological safety does not compromise operational safety, but rather enhances it by allowing problems to be identified and resolved proactively.

Table 2. Relationship between psychological safety and distribution of employees by Performance by Function

Function	Average SP*	Not evaluated by the manager	1 – Did not meet expectations	2 – Met some expectations	3 – Fully achieved	4 – Exceeded expectations
Human Resources	93	0%	0%	0%	50%	50%
Business Development	92	0%	0%	0%	60%	40%
Shopping	88	0%	0%	0%	80%	20%
Information Technology	85	17%	0%	0%	17%	67%
Sales	84	4%	2%	8%	59%	27%
Institution	81	0%	0%	0%	100%	0%
Research and Development	80	2%	0%	3%	69%	26%
Finance	77	0%	0%	4%	63%	33%
Marketing	74	0%	0%	9%	55%	36%
Supply Chain	74	26%	2%	4%	43%	26%
Manufacturing	72	29%	6%	15%	40%	10%
Engineering	71	49%	4%	15%	25%	8%
Quality, Health and Safety (QHS)	70	5%	0%	10%	71%	14%
Customer Service	69	0%	0%	8%	85%	8%

Source: Original research results

The analysis of the relationship between psychological safety and performance by function, as detailed in Table 2, revealed a consistent pattern: functions with high psychological safety (average equal to or greater than 85) showed a notable concentration of collaborators in the superior performance categories (“3 – Fully Achieved” and “4 – Exceeded Expectations”). For example, Human Resources (93 PS) had 50% of collaborators in “Exceeded Expectations” and 50% in “Fully Achieved”, with no occurrences in the lower performance categories. Business Development (92 PS) and Information Technology (85 PS) also demonstrated a high proportion of employees with superior performance, with 40% and 67% in “Exceeded Expectations”, respectively. This absence of negative ratings (categories “1 – Did not meet expectations” and “2 – Partially met expectations”) and the low incidence of “unrated” employees in these high psychological safety functions are robust indicators of an environment where trust and interpersonal openness translate into consistent and high performance results. Performance management literature, as described by Viswesvaran and Ones (2000), suggests that clarity of expectations and constructive feedback, intrinsic elements of a psychologically safe environment, are fundamental for high individual and collective performance.

In contrast, functions with low psychological safety (average equal to or below 75), such as Marketing (74), Supply Chain (74), Manufacturing (72), Engineering (71), QSE (70), and Customer Service (69), exhibited a less favorable performance distribution. In these areas, the proportion of employees in the “4 – Exceeded expectations” category was significantly lower, and there was a significant increase in the lower performance categories. Manufacturing, for example, registered 6% in “Did not meet expectations” and 15% in “Met some expectations,” while Engineering had 4% and 15% in these same categories. Even more concerning was the high incidence of “not evaluated” employees in these functions, particularly in Engineering (49%), Manufacturing (29%), and Supply Chain (26%). The absence of evaluation by managers is a strong indication of fragility in performance management processes and, by extension, in psychological safety. The lack of feedback and clarity on performance can generate uncertainty and distrust, undermining employees’ willingness to take risks and express ideas, as argued by Clark (2020). A manager who does not evaluate their employees may be avoiding difficult conversations or demonstrating a lack of engagement with their team’s development, which is inconsistent with fostering a psychologically safe environment.

The absence of employees classified in the “5 – Significantly exceeded expectations” category in all analyzed roles, as shown in Table 2, suggests that the organization’s criteria for this category are extremely rigorous. While this could be seen as an indicator of high standards, it also raises the question of whether the organizational environment allows employees to consistently achieve this level of excellence, or if there are systemic barriers preventing the manifestation of truly exceptional performance. Psychological safety, by promoting experimentation and learning from mistakes, is a catalyst for innovation and superior performance, and its absence may limit the potential for excellence.

Table 3. Relationship between psychological safety and employee distribution by Performance per Unit

Unit	Number of Employees	Average SP*	Not evaluated by the manager	1 – Did not meet expectations	2 – Met some expectations	3 – Fully achieved	4 – Exceeded expectations
SP- KC	261	84	2%	1%	4%	64%	29%
SP-BA	60	82	13%	0%	8%	67%	13%
SP-CPS	152	77	20%	0%	0%	54%	26%
SP-CO	292	75	11%	3%	10%	57%	19%
AM	7	71	100%	0%	0%	0%	0%
MG	518	68	24%	4%	15%	48%	9%
GO	120	63	40%	0%	3%	37%	20%

Source: Original research results

The analysis by organizational unit, presented in Table 3, complements the perspective by function and reveals that no unit reached the average psychological safety equal to or greater than 85, which is a critical finding. This indicates that, although some functions may have pockets of high psychological safety, the organizational culture as a whole does not yet promote a psychologically safe environment homogeneously. Units such as SP-KC (84) and SP-BA (82) approached the upper threshold and presented relatively high proportions of employees with performance “Exceeded expectations” (29% and 13%, respectively), in addition to low rates of “not evaluated”. This suggests that, in these units, there is more effective leadership and a local culture that favors psychological safety, even if it does not reach the level of excellence.

On the other hand, units such as MG (68), GO (63), and AM (71) registered the lowest averages of psychological safety and presented significant weaknesses in performance evaluation processes. The MG unit, the largest in terms of number of employees, presented the lowest average psychological safety and a high percentage of “not evaluated” (24%), in addition to a low proportion of high performance (9% in “Exceeded expectations”). This combination of factors positions MG as the unit of highest priority for intervention, as low psychological safety in such a large contingent of collaborators can have a systemic impact on the organization’s productivity and engagement. The situation in GO (40% of “not evaluated”) and AM (100% of “not evaluated”) is even more alarming, suggesting that talent management and performance evaluation practices are not being effectively implemented or understood by local managers. The absence of evaluations in AM, for example, is a clear sign that leadership is not fulfilling its fundamental role in the development and recognition of collaborators, which, in turn, undermines psychological safety and trust.

These findings reinforce the literature that points to the central role of leadership in building psychological safety (Edmondson, 1999; Clark, 2020). The omission of feedback, conflict avoidance, and low predictability of management practices, such as the lack of performance reviews, tend to weaken the perception of safety, favoring organizational silence and negatively impacting team performance (Frazier et al., 2017). Performance calibration, although an important tool for ensuring fairness (Grosvenor and Hoehn, 2016), can be ineffective if managers are not engaged in the evaluation process and do not possess the necessary competencies to conduct constructive feedback conversations.

In summary, the research results demonstrate a consistent and robust association between higher levels of psychological safety and better performance outcomes, both in the breakdown by function and by organizational unit. This relationship was more evident in contexts where there is greater role clarity, regularity of management rituals, and greater autonomy perceived by employees, indicating that psychological safety is not an isolated factor, but acts in an integrated way with the work structure and leadership practices. The nature of the activities also influences the distribution of psychological safety, with administrative areas presenting higher levels than operational and technical ones, which tend to be more oriented towards compliance and control.

These findings reinforce and operationalize the classic and contemporary literature by demonstrating, in a real organizational context, how psychological safety relates to formal performance indicators (Edmondson, 1999; Clark, 2020). More than confirming the theoretical framework, the study contributes by highlighting that weaknesses in management processes, such as low participation in climate surveys, high rates of unrated employees, and inconsistencies in conducting performance appraisals, constitute indirect signs of environments with lower psychological safety. The literature emphasizes that leaders play a central role in this process, as managerial behaviors associated with the omission of “feedback”, conflict avoidance, and low predictability of management practices tend to weaken the perception of safety, favoring organizational silence and negatively impacting team performance (Edmondson, 1999; Frazier et al., 2017; Clark, 2020).

The practical implications of these results are multifaceted. Firstly, the organization must recognize psychological safety as a strategic pillar for the development of high-performance teams and for talent retention (Clarke et al., 2025). This implies going beyond mere measurement and investing in concrete actions to foster an environment where employees feel safe to express ideas, ask questions, and take risks. Secondly, it is crucial to develop leadership at all levels, especially in the roles and units that showed the lowest psychological safety scores and the highest percentages of “not evaluated”. Training programs should focus on skills such as non-violent communication, constructive feedback, conflict management, and the importance of creating space for learning from mistakes. Leadership must be trained to understand its role as a facilitator of psychological safety and how its responsibility in performance evaluation directly impacts employees’ perceptions.

Third, performance management processes need to be reviewed and improved to ensure greater transparency, fairness, and consistency. The high incidence of “unrated” in some areas is unacceptable and suggests a systemic failure that needs to be urgently corrected. This may involve implementing more rigorous monitoring mechanisms to ensure that all employees receive feedback and evaluation, as well as holding managers accountable for not fulfilling this task. The use of the Nine-In-Box matrix (Grosvenor and Hoehn, 2016) should be accompanied by robust and well-conducted calibration meetings, which minimize biases and ensure the standardization of evaluation criteria.

Finally, the organization should consider complementing the GPTW climate survey with instruments that more comprehensively capture the four stages of psychological safety by Clark (2020), especially Learning and Challenge. This will allow for a more complete understanding of the organizational environment and the identification of areas where innovation and the ability to question the *status quo* may be inhibited. The creation of voice and participation spaces, such as discussion forums or anonymous suggestion boxes, can also contribute to employees feeling more comfortable expressing their ideas and concerns. By addressing these issues in an integrated manner, the company can build a more resilient, innovative, and engaged organizational culture, where psychological safety becomes a competitive advantage and a driver for high performance.

4. Conclusion

It is concluded that the objective was achieved when comparing the levels of psychological safety between teams of a multinational company with different performance results. The research revealed a consistent and robust association: environments with greater psychological safety, especially in administrative roles, showed superior performance and a lower incidence of negative or unperformed evaluations. In contrast, operational and technical areas, with less psychological safety, exhibited less favorable results and a high rate of unevaluated employees, highlighting weaknesses in management and leadership processes. It was observed that the organizational climate instrument used tends to predominantly capture the Inclusion and Contribution stages of psychological safety, limiting the evaluation of the Learning and Challenge stages.

Despite achieving its objective, the study has important limitations. The nature of secondary and aggregated data, by function and unit, prevented the inference of direct causal relationships between psychological safety and performance, as well as the performance of more robust statistical analyses. Furthermore, the structure of the GPTW questionnaire did not comprehensively address all four stages of psychological safety, offering a partial view. For future studies, it is suggested to collect more granular data and use complementary methods, such as focus groups or interviews, to deepen the understanding of employees’ perceptions. It is also recommended to investigate the impact of specific leadership interventions on the development of psychological safety, especially in areas identified with lower scores.

Bibliographic References

Adler, R.W. 2023. Strategic performance management: accounting for organizational control. 2ed. Routledge, Abingdon, Reino Unido.

Anthony, R.; Dearden, J. 1980. Management control systems. 4ed. Irwin, Homewood, IL, EUA.

Bennis, W.; Nanus, B. 1985. Leaders: the strategies for taking charge. Harper & Row, New York, NY, EUA.

Bigaton, A.; et al. 2024. Metodologias de pesquisa para trabalhos de conclusão de curso. Editora PECEGE, Piracicaba, SP, Brasil.

Clark, T.R. 2020. The 4 stages of psychological safety: defining the path to inclusion and innovation. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Oakland, CA, EUA.

Clarke, S.; et al. 2025. Safe to stay: the role of leader behaviors and psychological safety in employee retention in high-demand workplaces. SAGE Open 15(3): 1–15. Disponível em: <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/23970022251337643>. Acesso em: 09 out. 2025.

Cross, K.; Lynch, R. 1990. Tailoring performance measures to suit your business. Journal of Accounting and EDP 6(1): 17–25.

Edmondson, A.C. 1999. Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly 44(2): 350-383.

Flick, U. 2012. Introdução à Metodologia de Pesquisa. Editora Penso, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.

Frazier, M.L.; Fainshmidt, S.; Klinger, R.L.; Pezeshkan, A.; Vracheva, V. 2017. Psychological safety: a meta analytic review and extension. Personnel Psychology 70(1): 113–165. Disponível em: <https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12183>. Acesso em: 09 out. 2025.

GROSVENOR, K.; HOEHN, A. 2016. The Performance and Potential Matrix: The Nine Box Grid. New York: Center for Creative Leadership.

Viswesvaran, C.; Ones, D.S. 2000. Perspectives on models of job performance. International Journal of Selection and Assessment 8(4): 216–226. Disponível em: <https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2389.00151>. Acesso em: 09 out. 2025.

Yin, R.K. 2014. Estudo de Caso: Planejamento e Métodos. 5ed. Editora Bookman, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.

Article originating from the Final Course Work of the Specialization in People Management of the MBA USP/Esalq

To learn more about the course, click here and access the MBX Academy platform

Most recent

November 10, 2026

Forecast of Brazilian Air Transport Demand with Time Series Models

November 10, 2026

Crest and Toe Deviations in the Effective Berm Width in an Open Pit Mine

November 10, 2026

Applied marketing for strengthening brand strength, contribution, and value in credit co-operatives

November 10, 2026

Formal compliance and practical ineffectiveness: on the presence of senior management in the practice of illicit acts in relation to Public Power

November 10, 2026

Behavioural Insights: The commercialization of data for strategic decision-making in the technology sector

November 10, 2026

Information security controls based on ISO/IEC 27002:2022 in companies in Brazil

November 10, 2026

Model for supporting the financial analysis process of on-premises to cloud migration

November 10, 2026

Structuring of business profiles by financial indicators and multivariate clustering

November 10, 2026

LOCATION OF DISTRIBUTION CENTERS FOR E-COMMERCE IN BRAZIL

The forecast of demand in air transport is crucial for the operational and regulatory planning of a sector with seasonality, sensitivity to shocks, and trajectory changes. The objective was to model and forecast the monthly behavior of paid passenger volume in Brazilian air transport, using historical data from the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) from 2016 to 2025. A quantitative, applied, and documentary approach was adopted. The monthly series was consolidated and processed in Python, undergoing exploratory analysis, augmented Dickey-Fuller test, seasonal decomposition, and autocorrelation inspection. The seasonal Naive, Holt-Winters, and SARIMA models were compared, evaluating predictive performance by MAE, RMSE, and MAPE, with temporal validation over the 12 months of 2025. The results revealed a trend, recurring seasonality, and a structural break in 2020, followed by a gradual recovery of demand. The SARIMA model demonstrated the best predictive performance, with lower error and greater adherence to observed values in the test period. It was concluded that classical time series modeling was adequate to represent the dynamics of Brazilian air demand, and SARIMA proved to be the most consistent alternative for forecasting in the analyzed context.

Keywords: SARIMA modeling; Statistical forecasting; Seasonality; Time series; Air transport.

November 10, 2026

Crest and Toe Deviations in the Effective Berm Width in an Open Pit Mine

The geometric assessment of berms in open-pit mines has proven relevant for operational safety and excavation compliance with the design. The study analyzed the extent to which geometric deviations of the crest and toe explained the variation in the effective berm width in Bench -120 of an open-pit mine, using the Excavation Compliance Index as an interpretation tool. The investigation was characterized as applied and quantitative, developed through a case study with real geometric data extracted from DXF format files. Crest and toe coordinates were processed in Python, interpolated with regular spacing of 1 meter, and harmonized along the common section of the geometries. Subsequently, descriptive statistical analysis, multiple linear regression, quantile regression, Random Forest Regressor, and an adapted application of the index were performed. The results indicated that 57.7% of the berms were classified as compliant, 30.0% as attention, and 12.2% as critical. Crest deviations were higher and more dispersed than toe deviations. Multiple linear regression indicated a statistically significant association between geometric deviations and effective berm width, albeit with low explanatory power. Quantile regression showed that the effects varied along the width distribution, and the Random Forest indicated sensitivity to non-linear patterns, but with a limitation of sequential generalization. It was found that crest and toe deviations were associated with the effective berm width, but did not solely explain its entire variability.

Keywords: geometric assessment; bench geometry; compliance index; quantile regression.

November 10, 2026

Applied marketing for strengthening brand strength, contribution, and value in credit co-operatives

In a competitive and demanding financial scenario requiring trust, brand relevance is crucial for sustaining preference and relationships in cooperative organizations. The study investigated how applied marketing strategies can strengthen brand equity, contribution, and value in a credit cooperative, aiming to enhance its competitive relevance in the market. To this end, a case study was conducted in a Brazilian credit cooperative, employing quantitative research. A Likert scale questionnaire was administered to 85 marketing department employees, selected by non-probabilistic convenience sampling. Data were analyzed using frequencies, descriptive statistics, cross-tabulation, and inter-section interdependence analysis. The results revealed a predominantly positive perception, with highlights in immediate recall, credibility, trust, and security, and favorable evaluations regarding the practical effects of the brand on preference, relationship stages, and recommendation. However, opportunities for improvement were identified in consistency across channels, the onboarding process and post-membership support, and the sufficiency of evaluation metrics. As managerial contributions, the research supported recommendations to standardize messages and contact points, strengthen the entry and post-membership stages, and consolidate indicator-based monitoring routines, with inter-departmental alignment and leadership support for more consistent decisions.

Keywords: multichannel consistency; performance metrics; onboarding; competitive relevance.

November 10, 2026

Formal compliance and practical ineffectiveness: on the presence of senior management in the practice of illicit acts in relation to Public Power

In recent years, the robustness of an integrity program has consolidated itself as a criterion for corporate credibility, notably in relations with the public sector. Nevertheless, despite its widespread diffusion in the corporate environment, recurrent cases of corruption involving companies and often involving senior management persist. The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between the effectiveness of the integrity program, the role of senior management, and the practice of illicit acts in relation to Public Administration. To this end, an exploratory and bibliographic research was adopted, from a broad view of compliance, with an emphasis on the role of senior management as one of the main pillars for the implementation and development of an effective integrity program. Based on data made available by the Comptroller General of the Union [CGU] and widely publicized cases reported in the media, we sought to examine in an integrated manner the correlation between the inefficiency of an integrity program and the practice of illicit acts in relation to Public Administration. With the results, it was verified that, although compliance has become the rule in large corporations, as well as a requirement for contracting with public bodies, predatory management and the lack of leadership commitment are still a reality that weakens or nullifies the integrity programs implemented in the Brazilian corporate scenario, especially in the relationship with Public Administration.

Keywords: compliance; managers; offense; public bodies.

November 10, 2026

Behavioural Insights: The commercialization of data for strategic decision-making in the technology sector

The growing use of artificial intelligence and big data by technology companies has expanded the use of personal data as strategic assets, but has also intensified ethical risks related to privacy, consent, and transparency. In this context, we investigated how users with minimal knowledge about the General Data Protection Law (LGPD), artificial intelligence, and data perceive the legitimacy and ethics of using the Behaviour Insights product, developed by Meta, and what trade-offs they considered acceptable to authorize data processing. To this end, an applied research was conducted, with a quantitative, descriptive, and exploratory approach. Data collection occurred through a structured questionnaire, applied to 100 participants from the Southeast region of Brazil with minimal knowledge about LGPD, AI, and data. Data analysis was statistical and included triangulation for greater robustness. The results indicated that the presence of predictive algorithms is widely perceived, and 55.6% of users considered algorithmic recommendation systems positive for their experience. However, 82.7% of respondents negatively assessed the commercialization of their data to third parties without explicit consent. The perceived legitimacy of Behaviour Insights was not associated with technical sophistication, but with the existence of data governance, algorithmic transparency, and data subject control. It was concluded that the acceptance of predictive solutions, such as Behaviour Insights, depends on the perception of direct user benefit and clarity about data usage, with strong rejection of commercialization without consent. It is recommended that organizations explicitly state the purposes of data usage and the trade-offs offered to increase acceptance.

Keywords: Data commercialization; Combinatorial creativity; LGPD; Prediction; Privacy.

November 10, 2026

Information security controls based on ISO/IEC 27002:2022 in companies in Brazil

Information security represents a fundamental requirement for companies and governmental entities, especially in the face of increasing digitalization and the risks associated with data protection and system integrity. The objective was to analyze 25 controls from the ISO/IEC 27002:2022 standard, distributed into 15 organizational, 5 technological, 3 people, and 2 physical controls, in organizations in Brazil. To this end, an exploratory study with a quantitative approach was conducted, applying a structured questionnaire with 30 questions to 66 information security professionals. Data were collected virtually between February and March 2026 and analyzed using graphs and tables. The results indicated that organizations prioritized controls such as physical access restriction, malware protection, and removal of access after termination. In contrast, controls related to information security auditing, business continuity, and organizational learning were the least used. The analysis revealed that, although the prioritization of operational controls generates immediate results, it compromises the maturation of information security. It was concluded that the consistent implementation of structuring controls is crucial to strengthen corporate resilience and align the information security system with management and compliance requirements.

Keywords: compliance; organizational controls; governance; information security.

November 10, 2026

Model for supporting the financial analysis process of on-premises to cloud migration

Cloud computing has consolidated itself as a strategic alternative for cost reduction and increased flexibility in IT infrastructure management. However, migrating on-premises environments to the cloud presents challenges, especially for organizations with limited resources. The study aimed to propose a model to support the feasibility analysis of cloud migration, based on real usage and operational cost data. A case study methodology was adopted, in which data from a real environment were collected using the AWS Migration Evaluator tool, complemented by information obtained from an IT manager. From this data, the costs of the on-premises environment were estimated, and equivalent cloud scenarios were simulated, enabling the calculation of financial indicators TCO, ROI, and Payback. The results showed that the economic feasibility of the migration depended on the premises adopted, such as region, contracting model, and resource utilization profile. The application of the model revealed a robust economic feasibility, with a Return on Investment (ROI) of 451% and an estimated payback period of 6.5 months, driven by a 45% reduction in vCPU and 64% in RAM, resulting from the correction of over-provisioning. It was concluded that the proposed model contributed as a decision support tool, by providing a structured and real-data-based approach, promoting predictability and economic rationality for cloud migration processes in medium-sized companies.

Keywords: Cloud computing; Cloud migration; Payback; ROI; TCO.

November 10, 2026

Structuring of business profiles by financial indicators and multivariate clustering

The growing availability of financial data and the need to interpret it in a structured way have made multivariate analysis techniques relevant in the context of data science applied to organizations. The study aimed to identify and interpret clusters of companies based on selected financial indicators, in order to understand patterns of similarity and differentiation among the observed economic-financial profiles. To this end, an applied, quantitative, and exploratory-descriptive research was conducted, using a database composed of balance sheet, working capital, and operational liabilities variables. The data were processed, standardized, and aggregated by company, and subsequently analyzed using clustering techniques with the K-means algorithm, determination of the number of clusters by the Elbow and Silhouette methods, dimensionality reduction by Principal Component Analysis, and statistical validation by analysis of variance. The results showed that the segmentation identified distinct groups of companies, differentiated mainly by variables related to size, current assets, total liabilities, current liabilities, and suppliers, highlighting the central role of these dimensions in the formation of clusters. The projection by principal components confirmed the visual separation between the groups, and the analysis of variance indicated statistically significant differences in a significant portion of the variables. It was concluded that clustering constituted an adequate approach to identify business profiles based on financial data and that the integration between financial analysis and data science expanded the capacity to interpret the patterns present in the sample.

Keywords: Multivariate Analysis; Data Science; Clustering; Financial Indicators; K-means.

November 10, 2026

LOCATION OF DISTRIBUTION CENTERS FOR E-COMMERCE IN BRAZIL

The location of Distribution Centers (DCs) is a crucial strategic decision for e-commerce companies, influencing logistics costs and delivery times. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face challenges in conducting robust analyses due to the scarcity of proprietary data and specialized tools. An analytical combinatorial optimization model was developed, integrating unsupervised machine learning (K-means) and meta-heuristics (Genetic Algorithm), based exclusively on public data, to support DC location decisions in Brazil. Data from IBGE, the Olist dataset (Kaggle), Google Trends, and the Google Maps Distance Matrix API were used to build an integrated database with geographic coordinates, demand proxies, and distance matrices. The methodology combined K-means clustering to identify logistically homogeneous regions and the Genetic Algorithm as a search heuristic to select municipalities that minimized total logistics cost. The results indicated the formation of six clusters with distinct regional patterns, concentrating 42% of the demand in the Southeast metropolitan region. The scenario with two DCs, located in São Paulo and Salvador, showed a 22% reduction in variable transportation costs compared to a single DC baseline, covering 70% of the demand within the two-day delivery window (SLA). Sensitivity analyses demonstrated the model’s robustness, with variations below five percentage points under different demand and cost scenarios. It was concluded that the proposed approach offers a viable and replicable alternative for SMEs to democratize access to analytical location methods.

Keywords: Genetic Algorithm; Distribution Centers; E-commerce; K-means; Optimization.

Innovation

November 05, 2026

A technology park does not end within the boundaries of its land

By bringing together skills and monitoring results, your contribution also reaches organizations that are not physically located in it. A technology park is a meeting place. In it, a company can find the knowledge needed to develop a solution, a researcher can discover an application for their work, and an entrepreneur can meet the missing partner […]

Economy

October 19, 2026

End of the 6×1 scale: what do the numbers allow us to conclude?

Following the promulgation of the end of the 6×1 shift system, the debate on the shorter workday moves to implementation and requires distinguishing social benefits from economic costs. The end of the 6×1 shift system transitioned from legislative discussion to a constitutional change in Brazil. On October 16, 2026, the National Congress promulgated Constitutional Amendment No. 141/2026, originating from Proposal […]

Artificial Intelligence

October 16, 2026

Why study if AI exists?

When answers become easy, learning comes to mean more than just arriving at them. Why do I need to learn this if I can ask an artificial intelligence? This type of question has accompanied education for decades. Why learn an operation if a calculator exists? Why memorize information if it can be found […]

Tax Management

October 15, 2026

Pink tax and the gender of price

How different marketing treatments for men and women are incorporated by consumption taxation Imagine a shelf on which two razors of the same brand and intended for the same purpose are displayed side by side: one has dark packaging and promises strength, precision, and efficiency; the other comes in shades of pink or […]

Health

October 13, 2026

The missing link in health transformation

Why is innovation not enough to drive changes in organizations and health systems Digital transformation has become a strategic priority for health systems worldwide. Electronic health records, artificial intelligence, telemedicine, remote monitoring, and data analysis are now part of the strategic agenda of governments and health organizations. Paradoxically, […]

Marketing

October 09, 2026

Bitcoin or pets: what Artificial Intelligence would not see

A real-life consumer intelligence case shows what gets left out of the brief A few years ago, an American insurance company hired a specialized consumer intelligence firm to answer three questions: The insurer was also considering launching paid insurance in bitcoin. At the time, the consultancy’s workflow was as follows: the analyst created a query […]

School Management

October 06, 2026

The school is not a casino: when trading cards become currency in the playground

Why, for certain students, does school manage to offer so few experiences of achievement? The World Cup is over. Brazil left the competition, the school holidays came, the final was played and the football calendar moved on. It would be reasonable to imagine that, with the end of the tournament and the return to classes, […] would also begin

Energy Transition

September 30, 2026

Renewable energies: the Brazilian advantage

Brazil needs to invest in the capacity to transform natural resources into innovation, productivity, and development. Talking about energy is talking about development. Behind industry, transportation, services, cities, and increasingly artificial intelligence, there is an energy infrastructure that sustains the economy. Understanding a country’s energy matrix is understanding […]

Data Analysis

September 30, 2026

When the data changes, has reality changed?

An analysis of almost 20 million teaching positions-year between 2020 and 2025 shows how changes in population composition and record production can alter the interpretation of historical series Between 2020 and 2025, the number of formal teaching employment positions identified in RAIS (Annual Relation of Social Information), from the Ministry of Labor, […]

Tax Management

September 01, 2026

Tax reform and estate planning in the countryside

Efficiency in managing taxes facilitates governance and allows for the organization of family succession. Rural wealth organization has become a strategic measure in light of the tax reform in Brazil, which came into effect this year. The planning of activities and rural wealth management, through tools such as the transition from an Individual to […]

Renata de Gaspari Valdejão Almeida

Artificial Intelligence

August 05, 2026

Inside the company and off the radar: the risks of Shadow AI

According to Microsoft, 75% of professionals already use artificial intelligence at work without company approval. The use of generative artificial intelligence is already part of the corporate routine. Tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and other platforms help professionals produce texts, analyze data, create presentations, and accelerate tasks in practically all sectors. But this advance […]

Renata de Gaspari Valdejão Almeida

Strategy

July 02, 2026

The future as a competence

Academic interest reinforces the projection of scenarios as an essential tool for decision-making. While some companies are still trying to get the next step right, others are already working with multiple possible futures — and preparing for all of them. But after all, what does it mean to “think about the future”? Is it a trend, a strategy, or a new competence that […]

Renata de Gaspari Valdejão Almeida

Innovation

Technology

May 21, 2026

Agro SP Corridor: innovation, institutional articulation and future

Pecege commands the executive operation of the 400 km ecosystem activities that became known as the Brazilian agro Silicon Valley In 2025, in addition to taking over the management of the Piracicaba Technology Park, the Pecege Institute was also designated to command the executive operation of the State Agribusiness Innovation Corridor activities, the so-called […]

Education

April 27, 2026

How to turn a TCC into a business

New management of the Piracicaba Technology Park offers consulting to MBA graduates The new project director of the Piracicaba Technology Park (PTP), Alexandre Barreto, often says that one of the greatest rewards he has ever had in life was seeing his MBA USP/Esalq students structure companies from their final projects […]

Technology

March 20, 2026

The human repertoire in the age of AI

Critical thinking and creativity are irreplaceable in the work of a marketing professional Artificial Intelligence (AI) is capable of incredible feats, but it does not yet possess the judgment, empathy, intuition, and strategic creativity necessary to do the job of a good marketing professional. In this area, it is important to know how to use the tool to automate […]

Renata de Gaspari Valdejão Almeida

Agribusiness

Innovation

February 23, 2026

ESG as a growth strategy in a cooperative in RS

Santa Clara balances social and environmental responsibility with innovation Founded in 1911 by Italian immigrants in Carlos Barbosa, in the Serra Gaúcha region, Cooperativa Santa Clara is an example that it is possible to balance economic growth with social and environmental responsibility. From a small cheese production company, the organization has evolved into a […]

Renata de Gaspari Valdejão Almeida

Agribusiness

Innovation

January 22, 2026

Brazil free of Foot-and-Mouth Disease: what changes for Brazilian beef?

With a herd of over 200 million head of cattle, the country is currently the leader in exports. Brazil recently received, for the first time, the certification of country free of foot -and-mouth disease without vaccination, conferred by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). The seal strengthens the country’s position as a reliable supplier of meat for the […]

Renata de Gaspari Valdejão Almeida

Innovation

December 09, 2025

Innovation: the new cycle of the Piracicaba Technology Park

Instituto Pecege assumes management, betting on the creation of new businesses Starting in 2026, Instituto Pecege will assume the management of the Piracicaba Technology Park (PTP). Among its responsibilities will be the administration, operation, maintenance, and expansion of the park, in addition to fostering activities in innovation, entrepreneurship, and science and technology. The choice was made […]

Renata de Gaspari Valdejão Almeida

July 06, 2026

Large-Scale Architecture: DSR-SCRUM Change Management

Mônica Alessandra Guerios; Maria do Carmo Assis Todorov Abstract generated by ResumeAI, an artificial intelligence solution developed by Instituto Pecege focused on synthesis and writing. Architecture and urbanism are configured as essential bases in an increasingly complex and challenging urban space, where the intrinsic connection between social, environmental, and technological issues […]