Especially in the wake of the early 2000s, many writers in the business press called for more transparency in organizations in response to high-profile ethical lapses. My recent research engages in the ongoing effort to understand and measure the conceptual terrain of transparency, and examine its impact in organizations.
Transparency as Information Quality.
My colleague Dr. Andrew Schnackenberg and I regard transparency as referring to information quality (measured in terms of its Disclosure, Clarity, and Accuracy). Our research explores the practical effects of this way of thinking about transparency on key organizational outcomes.
For Further Reading:
Schnackenberg, A., Tomlinson, E. C., & Coen, C. (2021). The dimensional structure of transparency: A construct validation of transparency as disclosure, clarity and accuracy in organizations. Human Relations, 74, 1628-1660.
Schnackenberg, A., & Tomlinson, E. C. (2016). Organizational transparency: A new perspective on managing trust in organization-stakeholder relationships. Journal of Management, 42, 1784-1810. DOI: 10.1177/0149206314525202
Our research is cited in Palanski, M., & Hickerson, A. (2019, March 22). Journalism needs to practice transparency in a different way to rebuild credibility. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/journalism-needs-to-practice-transparency-in-a-different-way-to-rebuild-credibility-111474