From human error to system error: exposing systemic gaslighting in modern organisations

Purpose This paper develops the idea of systemic gaslighting as a way of explaining why organisations keep blaming individuals for failures that clearly grow out of systems, structures and politics (Reason, 1997; Tourish, 2019). Design/methodology/approach The paper is a conceptual, critical synthesis. It brings together work on organisational accidents, attribution theory, institutional legitimacy, psychological safety and organisational silence (Reason, 1997; Meyer and Rowan, 1977; Edmondson, 1999; Morrison and Milliken, 2000) and folds this into a single framework. Findings Systemic gaslighting is presented not as a rare pathology but as a patterned response to pressure. The Systemic Gaslighting Cycle shows how structural strain, blame shifting, narrative control and employee internalisation build on each other until “human error” looks like the only story left. The WARP framework translates this into four practical dimensions – Wording, Attribution, Responsibility and Process – that expose how language, metrics and leadership talk move responsibility downwards. Research limitations/implications The argument is conceptual and illustrative. Future empirical work could test, refine or contest the cycle in different sectors and national settings. Originality/value Rather than treating blame culture, toxic leadership or silence as separate topics, the paper links them as outcomes of the same underlying mechanism. It also brings practice orientated tools directly into a conceptual argument that speaks to change, risk and ethics.