I have written about how organisations are designed to stop people from speaking out. I have written about how fear in the workplace and hierarchical organisations discourage whistleblowers. I've written about how few organisations actually have policies to encourage them and how managers, executives and employees avoid talking about crunch issues.

It would all be very different if people could have conversations without fear.

Now, we have a fascinating study out of Emory University which shows how important those conversations are.

That study, conducted by professor Monica Worline and researcher Ryan Quinn from the University of Virginia looked at the behavior of passengers on board United Flight 93 on September 11, 2001. The passengers took action which, the researchers say, highlight the importance of "conversations". Those "conversations" took the form of information gathering, contacting loved ones, talking to the people who matter, using faith and using time and weapons.

These sorts of findings, the researchers say. are relevant to organisations generally.

When translating the actions of those aboard the plane to the day-to-day dynamics in work organizations, Worline and Quinn suggest imagining that you've just been told your company is part of a merger or takeover.

'For most people,' Worline explains, 'their first response is a feeling of stress or fear and a desire to glean more information and talk to others in the organization to find out more about what is happening.' Though nowhere close to the extremity of Flight 93, this type of first response is an almost exact replica of the typical responses of people aboard that plane. Co-author Quinn adds, 'When people use their time to create conversations that allow them to gather information, those conversations also can create resources that allow people to be proactive and make a place for themselves in the new merged organization. When that happens, the process is similar to the proactive use of time and information to create the capacity for an active response that we see aboard Flight 93.'

It would also apply to organisations where people are witnessing unethical or unlawful behavior. It's about creating, or finding, the space where conversations can lead to taking action. And whistleblowers might well be part of those conversations. Indeed, those sorts of exchanges would more likely make them feel safe. And feeling safe is essential for whistleblowers.