The following provides a brief review of the literature for a proposed study concerning the effect different styles of organizational culture has on the safety culture in manufacturing organizations. The proposed study also seeks to investigate the similarities and differences within and across safety cultures in manufacturing companies.
Brief Review of the Literature A review of literature provides clues to several elements that contribute to the organizational and safety cultures within organizations. Some cultural factors are based on internal factors such as the beliefs and values of organizational members. Cultural factors can also be influenced by external factors such as societal health and safety concerns and ergonomics. Researchers
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The exchange theory suggests individuals may participate in social systems, such as culture, that are built on loyalty and shared beliefs (Chan & Snape, 2013). The goal-theory perspective suggests that the degree of participation by individuals toward a safety culture in an organization is connected to the identified goals of organizational leaders (Naor, Jones, Bernardes, Goldstein, & Schroeder, 2014). The complexity theory or complex adaptive systems theory suggests that organizational and safety cultures are comprised of multiple interdependent parts, which interact according to established rules (Nielsen, 2014).
Summary
Multiple theories have been applied to the relationship between organization and safety cultures. Each theory suggests that cultures, organizational and safety, is a trade between individuals and at least one other element. The theories differ in the basis of the trade-off.
Organizational Culture and
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This is caused by a desire to increase productivity and the quality of products in many manufacturing industries throughout the world (Kwon & Kim, 2013). This industry mindset can lead to an organizational culture that ignores safety rules and regulations (Lallemand, 2012). It has been suggested that in addition to ignoring risk factors directly related to equipment and manufacturing processes, ergonomic controls, sometimes referred to as human factors, which consider elements that facilitate the interaction between workers and their environment employees are of disregarded. Ergonomics has been identified as a facet in safety cultures. Lallemand (2012) suggests that participatory ergonomics, which is an ergonomic strategy based on physical and psychosocial factors, contributes to a positive safety culture. Reiman & Rollenhagen (2014) suggest that an organization’s safety culture is holistic and includes requires interaction for all levels of the organization.
Summary
Manufacturing industries have a high rate of accidents, injuries, and illness. Often this industry does not have a high level of safety culture. Factors that have be suggested that contribute to a poor safety culture include a desire for productivity and quality and poor ergonomic controls.
Methods Employed to Assess Safety
McGuire, C. (2011, April). Workplace Safety 100 Years Ago. Safety Compliance Letter(2524), 1-6. Retrieved April 22, 2014, from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=60166397&site=ehost-live&scope=site
In a culture of safety and quality, all employees are focused on upholding quality in providing safe care. In order to promote patient safety in the hospital setting there should be an exhibition of teamwork irrespective of the different leadership positions. However the leaders show their obligation to quality and safety, and set capacities for their employees to perform a committed and critical role in assuring patient safety.
Institute for Healthcare Improvement. (2011). Introduction to the Culture of Safety (Educational Standards). Retrieved from IHI open school for health professions: http://www.ihi.org
The original INSAG report stated that the main cause for the disaster was the workers failing to perform operational procedures properly. However, a later revision on that report established that the actual cause was attributed more to the reactor design. This change does not diminish the fact that training and safety practices of the workers created issues leading up to the disaster. Both the training and safety issues are rooted in the fact that the workers were not properly informed in certain key areas including operational regulations and basic nuclear physics. By not providing this knowledge, the management failed to establish a safety culture for the workers [13]. Safety culture is a term used to describe how an organization views and prioritizes safety in its work [14]. This lack of a safety culture stems from a “lack of adequate training of the operators, inadequate permanent operating procedures, lack of enforcement of the rules and incomplete and imprecise instructions for this [...] low power test” [15]. This disregard for safety began to show itself even before the test ...
Creating a Culture of Safety. A culture of safety includes psychological safety, active leadership, transparency, and fairness. As a health care professional, I can create a culture of safety by having a positive attitude and creating an environment within the team that feeds off that optimistic and encouraging behavior. In addition, I can contribute to a culture of safety by using effective communication, the “Fairness Algorithm” to differentiate between system error and unsafe behaviors, and by being respectful and approachable to all my fellow coworkers and patients.
A culture of safety requires the commitment of leadership to positively impact outcomes. Recent emphasis on the new CMS guidelines and third party reimbursement initiatives associated with patient outcomes, has grabbed the attention of leadership at all healthcare organizations. Additionally, our system wide organization’s employee culture of safety survey has shown that communication and teamwork are areas were improvements are needed. Years of research on communication and teamwork in highly reliable organizations support a correlation with safety. (XX) One of the most important and highly touted Joint Commission, National Patient Safety Goals is to improve communication across the healthcare continuum. (JC .com) Additionally, the organization’s patient occurrences were reviewed through root cause analysis and the source is often linked to a failure to effectively communicate and role confusion. Well defined roles within the team model can help improve communication, including mitigating variables such as distractions, individual emphasis on the wrong information, and a breakdown in communication. (XXX) Implementation of a formal teamwork program is one way to systematically approach risk reduction within an organization. (Botwinick, L., Bisognano, M., & Harden, C., 2006) (Leonard, M., Frankel, A., Federico, F., Frush, K., & Haraden, C., 2013)
Strategies must touch upon all aspects of a complex work environment. According to Roux and Halstead (2009), some characteristics of an effective client safety culture consists of acknowledging human limitations, avoiding oversimplification of near miss or sentinel events, support from management and leadership in non-punitive problem solving approach in investigations, an interdisciplinary approach to collaboration which includes front line staff to enhance communication and reporting of concerns and errors, and training on intended changes prior to its development and implementation (p.
When it comes to safety most people think they are safe, and they have a true understanding on how to work safe. Human nature prevents us from harming ourselves. Our instincts help protect us from harm. Yet everyday there are injuries and deaths across the world due to being unsafe. What causes people to work unsafe is one of the main challenges that face all Safety Managers across the world.
It includes the organization 's vision, values, norms, systems, beliefs, and habits. Though the challenge of changing the organizational culture at GM is complex, it is not unattainable. In order to achieve its desired public image and to acquire an organizational identity centered on quality and safety, qualitative research on GM’s culture could be facilitated. Intertwined with the study of organizational culture is organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), which is the performance that supports the social and psychological environment in which task performance takes place. OCBs were found to be positively related to overall organizational effectiveness, unit-level performance and customer satisfaction (Greenberg, j., 2013). A study of the OCB in GM may help in the change it aims to implement. GM may start by creating an environment where its employees are truly committed to its safety policy while also increasing their job satisfaction. Organizational justice and motivational theories, like the equity theory, may be used to attain this (Greenberg, J., 2013). Since GM seeks to make their employees speak up, it may come up with a system where those who speak up will not only be recognized but will also be rewarded with both tangible and intangible
The purpose of this post is to share three organizational culture resources that address organizational culture and patient safety proactively. My three references of choice are Measuring Safety Culture in Healthcare: A Case for Accurate Diagnosis by Flin, Organizational Readiness Assessment Checklist by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Patient Safety Climate in 92 US Hospitals: Differences by Work Area and Discipline by Singer et al articles.
In the aviation industry, there are many examples of successful aviation organisations that have differentiated themselves from the highly competitive market. These organisations have shown that even during the times of global economical hardship, they are still able make a substantial profit and continue to grow. Their success is often not a secret, but comes from the foundation of core beliefs and values set within the organisation. Each organisation will have its unique culture on the way it perform its operations .This essay will review the importance of culture on how it can affect an aviation organization 's safety and performance. The first part of this essay will explain the general overview importance of culture within an organisation.
The death of twenty-nine workers in an explosion at an underground mine site is a catastrophic example that demonstrates the critical need for a strong safety culture in the workplace. Ben Heineman, the author of the article “Valuing Safety is Good for Companies’ Bottom Line,” (2010) suggests that “culture consists of the shared principles and shared practices which influence how people in organizations feel, think, and behave.” Today, most industries view strong safety regulations as a crucial component to the workplace practices inside a business. Without a deep commitment by company leadership to create and enforce the importance of safety and health polices, a safety culture will not exist. Integrity and safety must never be compromised to achieve numbers and the value of an employee’s life must always be a company’s first priority.
One of the biggest challenges managers face in motivating employees is the ability to meet their safety needs. Because of the weak economy and high
The idea of Safety First is a noble one. It’s often a workplace culture, and both government organizations and corporations alike have adopted it. As a result, vast improvements have been made to manufacturing techniques, product quality, and laws governing safety. For instance, the semiconductor industry is just such an environment. According to the latest statistics from NIOSH, the semi industry ranks 7th lowest in accidents reported, of all industries surveyed. In the semi industry, meetings at every level begin with the lead slide stating “Safety First”, where safety concerns, such as escape routes and local protocol are expressed. In spite of these changes and survey results, the semi industry still experiences industrial accidents which result in injury or loss of life. There must be something missing from the culture of Safety First, otherwise, there should be no accidents. Where is the missing piece to this puzzle? Is it that employees refuse to accept the workplace culture or, possibly, employers are not providing enough training in this area? Dare it be said, that accidents will occur, regardless of training and cultural beliefs? Or is the missing piece of Safety First systemically missing, by oversight and or intentionally, within the culture?
Zanko, M & Dawson, P 2012, ‘Occupational health and safety management in organizations: A review’, International Journal of Management Reviews, vol. 14, no. 3, p 328-344, viewed 2 April 2014, http://ro.uow.edu.au/commpapers/2832/.