Psychological Safety in Construction Project Organisations: A Critical Literature Review and Research Agenda

Psychological safety is the shared belief that a team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking, and it has received growing attention in organisational and management research in recent years. It is especially relevant to construction, where hierarchical cultures, adversarial contracting norms, and temporary project coalitions can both require and constrain open communication. However, the construction-specific evidence remains fragmented and geographically concentrated. This paper reports a systematic literature review of empirical research on psychological safety in construction project organisations, conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020. A structured Scopus search identified 139 records, of which 17 met the eligibility criteria after three-stage screening. Published between 2020 and 2026, the included studies were concentrated mainly in China and Australia. Most used cross-sectional survey designs, while nearly all relied on adaptations of Edmondson’s (1999) seven-item scale. The thematic synthesis identified three clusters: leadership and cultural antecedents; psychological safety as a mediator between organisational conditions and performance outcomes; and its role in error management and organisational learning. Cross-study analysis identified five limitations: geographic concentration, methodological homogeneity, a lack of longitudinal designs, limited construction-specific validation of psychological safety measures, and insufficient theoretical attention to the temporary and project-based nature of construction organisations. Based on these limitations, the paper proposes a research agenda centred on construction-specific scale development, longitudinal and experimental designs, cross-cultural comparison, and multi-level analysis. The review also highlights the potential contribution of psychological safety to decent work (SDG 8), resilient industry and innovation (SDG 9), and worker health and well-being (SDG 3).