Research highlights the value of open dialogue in corporate management

In traditional organizational environments, openness is still viewed with suspicion. A study led by Renato Souza and Thomaz Wood Jr., from FGV EAESP, in collaboration with Brad Jackson, from Waikato Management School , suggests that creating a “pact of open dialogue” — the so-called parrhesiastic pact — can foster more collaborative leadership. 

For 11 months, researchers monitored the routine of a senior management team at a large Brazilian industrial company. The aim of the study was to understand how encouraging honest positioning, even in the face of discomfort, can strengthen bonds of trust and reshape the organizational hierarchy. 

The pact states that members must speak with courage and listen openly, especially those with less formal power. The practice has proven to be challenging, but essential for more ethical and participatory decisions. 

According to the authors, for shared leadership to be effective, more is needed than just distributing tasks: it is necessary to create safe spaces for the exercise of truth. 

 

Read the full article here.