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1 – 10 of over 23000Michael J. Burke and Sloane M. Signal
While research on workplace safety spans across disciplines in medicine, public health, engineering, psychology, and business, research to date has not adopted a multilevel…
Abstract
While research on workplace safety spans across disciplines in medicine, public health, engineering, psychology, and business, research to date has not adopted a multilevel theoretical perspective that integrates theoretical issues and findings from various disciplines. In this chapter, we integrate research on workplace safety from a variety of disciplines and fields to develop a multilevel model of the processes that affect individual safety performance and safety and health outcomes. In doing so, we focus on cross-level linkages among national, organizational, and individual-level variables in relation to the exhibition of safe work behavior and occurrence of individual-level accidents, injuries, illnesses, and diseases. Our modeling of workplace safety is intended to fill a theoretical gap in our understanding of how the multitude of individual differences and situational factors interrelate across time to influence individual level safety behaviors and the consequences of these actions, and to encourage research to expand the limits of our knowledge.
This paper aims to report on themes of root cause of injury emerging from a qualitative study of investigations into serious workplace injuries undertaken by the Nova Scotia…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to report on themes of root cause of injury emerging from a qualitative study of investigations into serious workplace injuries undertaken by the Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Workforce Development, Occupational Health and Safety Division.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used systems‐based safety management as a theoretical lens and a qualitative grounded theory approach to inductively identify patterns and themes in the root cause of injury. Investigations were purposefully selected and analyzed through document review supplemented by interviews.
Findings
A number of themes of root cause of injury emerge from the data reflecting a lack of commitment to safety within the organization and a lack of positive safety leadership by management. Workplace culture is identified as a reflection of beliefs and assumptions of managers which impacts safety behaviour. A trend toward identifying the victim as a cause is also addressed.
Research limitations/implications
Data are limited to investigations of serious injuries reported to the enforcement agency, thus focusing on negative experiences. The identification of root cause of injury may not always be the focus of the investigation, and the nature of acute serious injury limits the industry sectors represented. A need for further investigation across other industry sectors and inclusion of chronic injury is indicated.
Practical implications
These themes represent a cross sectoral perspective and can be used to guide development of prevention and intervention programs, corporate priorities and public policy.
Originality/value
The paper reports on a study of patterns in the root cause of workplace injuries.
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Road trauma remains a significant concern internationally. Traffic crashes rank within the top three leading causes of death for individuals aged between 15–44 years old, with…
Abstract
Road trauma remains a significant concern internationally. Traffic crashes rank within the top three leading causes of death for individuals aged between 15–44 years old, with nonfatal casualties occurring at around 30 times the rate of fatal incidents. Historically, road safety research has not captured factors relating to driving purpose. However, more recently, researchers have focused on the importance of driving for work. Over a third of traffic volume represents commuting or driving in the line of employment; improving workplace road safety practices represents a tangible way of reducing road trauma. This chapter considers the link between safety culture and best practice in workplace road safety. It is argued that best practice is not a term to define individual safety practices, but a system of practices that create a culture of safety. This research uses data collected on organizations workplace road safety practices within the Australian context. This data has been collected by the National Road Safety Partnership Program (NRSPP); an initiative that constitutes a network of organizations and academics working together to develop a positive road safety culture. Twenty-four case studies are presented of organizations that have implemented workplace road safety programs to improve their safe driving culture. Qualitative analysis was conducted to systematically categorize the safety initiatives and their indicators of success. Almost all case studies expressed the importance of developing a safety-first culture in the workplace. Third-party regulation, internal policy and corporate social responsibility form the foundation of workplace safety. However, it was the culture and attitude towards the safety initiatives that achieved effectiveness in the long-term. The findings of this research support the argument that best practice is best achieved when integrated within a culture that values and prioritizes safety, rather than implemented in isolation to other elements in the workplace system.
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Moses Ahomka Yeboah, Mustapha Kalvei, Linda Obeng Ansong and Abraham Ansong
We sought to examine the effect of responsible leadership on employee safety in the workplace both directly and indirectly through mediation effects of safety motivation and safety…
Abstract
Purpose
We sought to examine the effect of responsible leadership on employee safety in the workplace both directly and indirectly through mediation effects of safety motivation and safety culture in the oil and gas industry in Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
We employed a quantitative approach (survey) to collect data from 226 pump attendants of the fuel stations in the Accra Metropolis. This study used PLS-SEM to test the research hypotheses in the study.
Findings
Our findings show that leaders’ responsible behaviours had a positive and significant impact on both their employees’ wellbeing and safety as well as their motivation to adhere to safety standards and also imbibe a sense of safety culture in the workplace. Furthermore, the inclusion of safety motivation and safety culture as mediating variables reveal that leaders’ ability to achieve a robust workplace safety through responsible leadership was partially contingent on these organisational factors.
Practical implications
We highlight that leaders should continuously improve their responsible leadership behaviours and also the management of oil and gas companies should encourage managers to focus on day-to-day interactions with employees on safety-related matters (e.g. effectively inspiring and motivating employees to adhere to safety standards and procedures and applying sanctions when necessary).
Originality/value
This study answers the recent calls for a contingency perspective on the relationship between leadership styles and organisational/employee level outcomes by providing empirical support for our conceptual model which identifies safety motivation and safety culture as important organisational factors by which responsible leaders can positively influence workplace safety.
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Stephanie A. Andel, Derek M. Hutchinson and Paul E. Spector
The modern workplace contains many physical and interpersonal hazards to employee physical and psychological health/well-being. This chapter integrates the literatures on…
Abstract
The modern workplace contains many physical and interpersonal hazards to employee physical and psychological health/well-being. This chapter integrates the literatures on occupational safety (i.e., accidents and injuries) and mistreatment (physical violence and psychological abuse). A model is provided linking environmental (climate and leadership), individual differences (demographics and personality), motivation, behavior, and outcomes. It notes that some of the same variables have been linked to both safety and mistreatment, such as safety climate, mistreatment climate, conscientiousness, and emotional stability.
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This paper aims to investigate the in-company training according to the technologically demanding and safety-critical feature of the aircraft industry. This study addresses to the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the in-company training according to the technologically demanding and safety-critical feature of the aircraft industry. This study addresses to the tension between the structured and the more incidental part of in-company learning in their training and learning environment.
Design/methodology/approach
Against the background of concepts of workplace learning from vocational training research and concepts of the safety management system from safety research, aircraft companies from England and Germany were visited. Data from interviews with training managers and trainees as well as non-participant observations are analysed.
Findings
The findings show that workplace vocational learning in this industry is guided by different measures to design the learning environment to prevent purely incidental and informal knowledge acquisition. However, the formalisation of informal learning process leads to a high expenditure of material, personnel and time resources. The findings show that trainers and training managers working together internationally creatively manage different training systems. The training activities are designed to convey the values of safety culture like responsibility, accuracy, transparent communication and reporting. The requirements of the safety management system are also met through the training.
Research limitations/implications
Challenges and tensions in the actual implementation of the training activities could not be identified. The people interviewed were selected by the companies, so there is a risk that certain perceptions are over-represented.
Practical implications
The results show that the safety-critical industry needs its own pedagogical approach to workplace learning, which is not based on independent work processes in the workplace. Insights can be drawn for in-company training in other safety-critical industries too. However, to enable effective in-company learning, which at the same time strengthens the safety culture of the company, many resources must be used. The companies must consider all dimensions of work from the individual level to the work structure level.
Originality/value
This paper discusses the tension between formal and informal learning and shows the specific design of this tension on the basis of a concrete industry for the specific needs of this industry. The results lead to the realisation that the general discussion about workplace learning must be viewed in a differentiated way depending on the industry.
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Norberth Okros and Delia Virga
Based on the socially embedded model of thriving at work and using the conservation of resources and job demands-resources theories, this study aims to examine the mediating role…
Abstract
Purpose
Based on the socially embedded model of thriving at work and using the conservation of resources and job demands-resources theories, this study aims to examine the mediating role of thriving at work, as a personal resource, in the relationship between workplace safety, as job resource, and well-being.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors used structural equation modeling to test the mediation model on a sample of 350 correctional officers.
Findings
The results provided support to the authors' model. The authors found that workplace safety is positively linked to job satisfaction and negatively to health complaints, and these relationships are partially mediated by thriving at work. Consistent with the conservation of resources theory, thriving at the workplace is a mechanism that translates the positive effect of workplace safety on well-being.
Originality/value
The contribution of this research resides that a safe work environment leads to improved health and job satisfaction via thriving at work because thriving correctional officers feel energetic and able to acquire and apply knowledge and skills at workplace.
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The purpose of this paper is to review the literature and call for additional research into the human, operational, and regulatory issues that contribute to workplace safety in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the literature and call for additional research into the human, operational, and regulatory issues that contribute to workplace safety in the supply chain.
Design/methodology/approach
Following the safety typology of Brown, this paper identifies several potential research opportunities that can increase awareness of the importance of improving a firm's workplace safety practices. To inform the Brown typology, the paper follows the procedures described in Carter et al. and Maloni and Carter to conduct the comprehensive review of the safety literature across six logistics and transportation journals.
Findings
This paper identifies 108 articles which inform the Brown typology. The paper reports how the logistics and transportation safety literature has evolved across the human, operational, and regulatory safety domain across the following journals: International Journal of Logistics Management, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, Journal of Business Logistics, Journal of Supply Chain Management, Transportation Research Part E, and Transportation Journal. The paper identifies 14 future research opportunities within the workplace safety in the supply chain domain.
Practical implications
The 14 future research opportunities that have been identified can have a positive effect on practitioners confronted with safety issues.
Originality/value
Given the importance of workplace safety, it is important that firms across all echelons of the supply chain improve their safety practices. This paper contributes to the literature and highlights important managerial and public policy concerns on workplace safety performance in the supply chain.
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Qazi S. Kabir, Kevin Watson and Theekshana Somaratna
The purpose of this paper is to address a deficiency in the literature by exploring the impact of negative workplace safety announcements on firm performance. The authors analyze…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to address a deficiency in the literature by exploring the impact of negative workplace safety announcements on firm performance. The authors analyze the issue from a corporate social responsibility perspective and explore ways supply chain managers can contribute to improve firm performance through the development of safe working environments.
Design/methodology/approach
Utilizing a sample of 227 negative workplace safety announcements, this paper explores the implications of negative workplace safety announcements on the stock price of a firm using event study methodology.
Findings
The authors find that negative workplace announcements are associated with an abnormal decrease in shareholder value. Furthermore, the authors find evidence that negative workplace safety announcements have a more pronounced negative effect on firm value in the present environment than in any previous time period.
Practical implications
Operations managers need to play leading roles in ensuring safe working environments. The results provide the support needed to acquire the financial resources necessary to mitigate exposure to unsafe working conditions.
Originality/value
This study explores the impact of negative workplace safety announcements on a firm’s stock performance. It is the first large-scale study to look at public announcements of workplace incidents and to explore the impact of such announcements in the context of time.
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Maria Tresita Paul Vincent, Nimmi P.M., Geetha Jose, Anjali John and Vijay Kuriakose
This study aims to explore how family incivility is linked to workplace bullying among employees. This study examines the role of psychological safety as an explanatory mechanism…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore how family incivility is linked to workplace bullying among employees. This study examines the role of psychological safety as an explanatory mechanism linking both. This paper also looks into the moderating roles of optimism between family incivility and psychological safety and organization-based self-esteem (OBSE) between psychological safety and workplace bullying.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing from the conservation of resources theory and work home resources model, this study developed various hypotheses. The proposed relationships were tested using responses gathered from 260 teaching faculty across the universities in India. This study used Warp-PLS for data analysis.
Findings
The findings suggest that psychological safety mediated the relationship between experienced family incivility and workplace bullying. This study also found support for the mediating role of psychological safety. Further, this study has proved that trait optimism and OBSE are boundary conditions influencing the outcomes of family incivility.
Practical implications
The findings have practical implications for teachers, educational institution leaders and policymakers. This study augments the importance of cultivating optimism and OBSE to combat conflicting situations. Employees who practice optimism on a daily basis are high in psychological safety and when supported with OBSE by the institution, the impact of family incivility and its adverse effects in the workplace is reduced, curbing the instances of workplace bullying.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies to establish the role of “organizational resource,” OBSE, as a coping mechanism in tackling the adverse effects of family incivility. From a resource perspective, this study is one of the first to look into the enablers and inhibitors of resource creation in an individual while experiencing family incivility.
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