Voicing criticism seems to be a difficult task for employees in international organisations (IOs), as numerous anecdotes in the literature suggest. This observation is alarming, since internal criticism is an indispensable resource for organisational learning processes. So why are IOs apparently not using this resource to its full potential? The present article is the first to provide a comprehensive answer to this question by combining insights from organisation theory with an empirical case study of the UN Secretariat. My general argument is that ‘criticism from within’ is ambivalent. It can be a resource for, but also a threat to IOs: internal criticism can endanger an IO’s external reputation as well as destabilise the organisation from within. Based on this theoretical understanding, I identify and empirically examine three specific reasons for the UN Secretariat’s weak criticism culture: (1) Criticism is suppressed due to a widespread fear of leaks resulting from external pressures. (2) Criticism is avoided as a strategy of self-protection in the face of (inevitable) failures. (3) Constructive criticism is difficult to express in settings where organisational hypocrisy is necessary.

正如文献中的许多轶事所表明的那样，对国际组织 (IO) 的员工提出批评似乎是一项艰巨的任务。这一观察结果令人震惊，因为内部批评是组织学习过程中不可或缺的资源。那么，为什么 IO 显然没有充分利用这一资源呢？本文通过将组织理论的见解与联合国秘书处的实证案例研究相结合，首次为这个问题提供了全面的答案。我的一般论点是“来自内部的批评”是矛盾的。它可以是 IO 的资源，也可以是对 IO 的威胁：内部批评会危及 IO 的外部声誉，并从内部破坏组织的稳定。基于这一理论认识，我确定并实证检验了联合国秘书处批评文化薄弱的三个具体原因：（1）由于普遍担心外部压力导致泄密，批评受到压制。(2) 避免批评作为面对（不可避免的）失败时的自我保护策略。(3) 在需要组织虚伪的环境中很难表达建设性的批评。