| The current study heard stories of individual acts of workplace courage to determine what factors influence acts of courage in the workplace. Do the systems that shape organizations and govern leaders support courage, or do individuals require courage to merely survive their workplace? I employed a qualitative design that thematically analyzed narrative data of 8 in-person semistructured interviews. Results show that acts of courage occur predominantly in interpersonal contexts, require cognitive planning and thoughtful choice, are subjective, are fostered in environments of perceived support that increases with role modelling, and are a positive experience despite discomfort or felt tension. Recommendations for organizations include intentional design of leadership structures that support acts of courage since they predict increased individual and organizational integrity, social inclusion, and workplace innovation. |
