Public Sector Organizational Failure: A Study of Collective Denial in the UK National Health Service

Jane Hendy () and Danielle A. Tucker ()
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Jane Hendy: Brunel University London
Danielle A. Tucker: University of Essex

Journal of Business Ethics, 2021, vol. 172, issue 4, No 5, 706 pages

Abstract: Abstract This paper argues that public sector organizational failure may be best understood from a perspective of collective denial. The rise of this phenomenon is examined using testimony from a Public Inquiry into the downfall of a UK hospital, where falling organizational standards led to unethical decision making and an unacceptable number of patient deaths. In this paper, we show how collective denial, over time, became a process that resided within the fabric of organizational life. To explore the organizational processes associated with collective denial, and how and why it occurs, we identify the influence of a ‘narrative of silence.’ This narrative allows ever more serious failings to be justified as organizational members lose contact with reality entering a downward spiral with no recovery. The combined impact of assumptions about leadership capability, enculturated professional identities, and organizational loyalty create an environment where a narrative of silence can develop.

Keywords: Public sector; Organizational failure; Denial; Collective denial; Silence; Narrative; Hubris; UK NHS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10551-020-04517-1

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