When organisational culture meets accountability: Lessons from the BBC’s ‘Call It Out’ scheme
The BBC recently launched its Call It Out scheme - a confidential system that allows staff and freelancers to report poor behaviour in the workplace. The initiative follows an independent review into organisational culture that found some senior managers and presenters “behave unacceptably” and that leaders often fail to address such behaviour.
This discussion has resurfaced this week after another BBC presenter was taken off air following an internal complaint about their behaviour. It raises an important question: can mechanisms like Call It Out genuinely shift culture, or do they risk being seen as performative?
What the BBC’s ‘Call It Out’ scheme aims to do
Provide a confidential reporting route for poor behaviour.
Support both employees and freelancers in raising concerns.
Collect data to identify behavioural trends and cultural hotspots.
Encourage early intervention and reduce reliance on informal networks.
On paper, these are noble aims. Reporting systems can give organisations valuable insight into the lived experience of their people around what’s tolerated, what’s challenged and where silence still dominates.
Why reporting alone doesn’t change organisational culture
As occupational psychologists know, policy tools don’t change behaviour - people do.
For schemes like Call It Out to work, employees need to:
Trust that reports will be handled fairly and confidentially.
See evidence that poor behaviour is addressed, not ignored.
Believe that senior leaders model the same standards expected of everyone else.
Without these conditions, reporting systems can unintentionally increase fear or cynicism. Staff may see them as symbolic gestures rather than genuine attempts to shift power dynamics or promote psychological safety.
Leadership accountability & everyday behaviour
Strong leadership accountability is the foundation of culture change. When leaders fail to challenge poor behaviour, it sets a precedent that misconduct is tolerated. The most effective culture interventions combine formal reporting tools with:
Consistent behavioural standards for all levels of seniority.
Coaching and development to strengthen leaders’ interpersonal competence.
Transparent communication about how concerns are addressed.
Psychological safety work that helps teams speak up early.
Using reporting data for development, not just risk management
Behavioural reporting data can do more than manage legal or reputational risk. It can be used to understand:
Which teams experience repeated issues.
Where leadership capability gaps exist.
How workplace norms influence trust and respect.
For organisational psychologists, this information offers valuable insight into team dynamics, power structures, and the informal rules that shape day-to-day behaviour.
The bigger picture for organisations
The BBC case is a reminder that organisational culture isn’t defined by mission statements but by how people treat each other when no one’s watching. Mechanisms like Call It Out are useful, but without visible leadership action and consistent accountability, they risk becoming just another HR process.
Culture change requires more than a hotline - it needs leadership that listens, takes responsibility, and models the behaviour it expects.
Key takeaway:
Reporting systems can help surface poor behaviour, but they don’t change culture on their own. Real progress depends on leadership integrity, open communication and a commitment to making workplaces psychologically safe for everyone.
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