Organizational Behavior and Organizational Behavior and Workplace Safety: Workplace Safety:

Changing Safety CultureChanging Safety Culture

Sue Ann Sarpy, Ph.D.Sue Ann Sarpy, Ph.D.April 14, 2008April 14, 2008

Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives•• Discuss Discuss organizational behavior organizational behavior and its and its

influence on workplace safetyinfluence on workplace safety•• Define Define organizational culture organizational culture and and

distinguish between distinguish between safety culturesafety culture and and safety climatesafety climate

•• Describe Describe organizational change organizational change includingincludingresistance to change resistance to change and and techniques techniques forforreducing resistance reducing resistance to change to change

•• Review Review guidelinesguidelines for executing a for executing a successful organizational successful organizational culture changeculture change

•• Participate in Participate in casecase--study study exercise exercise examining examining safety culture changesafety culture change

What is Organizational Behavior?

The Study ofThe Study ofOrganizationalOrganizational

BehaviorBehavior

PsychologyPsychology

SociologySociology

Social PsychologySocial Psychology

AnthropologyAnthropology

Political SciencePolitical Science

Major Goals ofMajor Goals ofOrganizational BehaviorOrganizational Behavior

PredictionPredictionPrediction ExplanationExplanationExplanation ControlControlControl

Why is Why is Organizational BehaviorOrganizational Behavior

Important?Important?

The Hawthorne StudiesThe Hawthorne Studies

•• Study of the Hawthorne Works of the Study of the Hawthorne Works of the Western Electric CompanyWestern Electric Company

•• Conducted with researchers from Conducted with researchers from Harvard UniversityHarvard University

•• Examined relationship between lighting Examined relationship between lighting and productivityand productivity

InterventionIntervention

•• Experimental Group Experimental Group -- light was light was systematically alteredsystematically altered

•• Control GroupControl Group

Experimental Group (Actual)Experimental Group (Actual)

Control Group (Actual)Control Group (Actual)

Control Group (Expected)Control Group (Expected)Experimental Group (Expected)Experimental Group (Expected)

Amount of LightAmount of LightLowLow

LowLow

HighHigh

HighHigh

Prod

uctiv

ityPr

oduc

tivity

Actual Versus Expected Results Actual Versus Expected Results for the Experiment and Control Groupsfor the Experiment and Control Groups

Hawthorne EffectHawthorne Effect•• Hawthorne EffectHawthorne Effect: performance : performance

improved regardless of working improved regardless of working conditionsconditions

•• Why did the results occur?Why did the results occur?

•• Why is this important to the study of Why is this important to the study of behavior in the workplace (e.g., safety behavior in the workplace (e.g., safety behavior)?behavior)?

•• www.library.hbs.edu/hc/hawthorne/www.library.hbs.edu/hc/hawthorne/

Reciprocal Model of SafetyReciprocal Model of Safety

PersonPerson

BehaviorBehavior

EnvironmentEnvironmentEquipment, Tools, Equipment, Tools,

Machines, Heat/Cold, Machines, Heat/Cold, EngineeringEngineering

Complying, Coaching, Recognizing, Complying, Coaching, Recognizing, Communicating, Donning PPE Communicating, Donning PPE

ContextContext

Knowledge, skills, abilities,Knowledge, skills, abilities,

Motives, Perceptions, Attitudes Motives, Perceptions, Attitudes

What is Organizational Culture?

•• a cognitive framework consisting of a cognitive framework consisting of attitudes, values, behavioral norms and attitudes, values, behavioral norms and expectations expectations sharedshared by organizational by organizational membersmembers

•• a system of a system of sharedshared meaningmeaning•• relatively relatively stablestable and exerts and exerts strong strong

influenceinfluence

Organizational CultureOrganizational Culture

Company FoundersCompany FoundersCompany Founders

Formation ofCulture

Formation ofFormation ofCultureCulture

Experience with External Environment

Experience with Experience with External EnvironmentExternal Environment

Internal InteractionInternal InteractionInternal Interaction

Learning AboutLearning AboutOrganizational CultureOrganizational Culture

RitualsRituals

MaterialMaterialSymbolsSymbolsLanguageLanguage

StoriesStories

Why is Organizational Culture Important?

CultureCulture’’s Role in Organizationss Role in Organizations

Standards of Standards of BehaviorBehavior

CommitmentCommitmentto the to the

MissionMission

Sense of Sense of IdentityIdentity

Effects of Effects of Organizational Organizational

CultureCultureLength of Length of

EmploymentEmployment

Organizational Organizational PerformancePerformance

Person/Person/Organization FitOrganization Fit

Culture versus Climate

Organizational Climate versus Organizational Climate versus Organizational CultureOrganizational Culture

ClimateClimate: shared perceptions of objective : shared perceptions of objective characteristics by organizational memberscharacteristics by organizational members

•• tell us tell us whatwhat happens in an organizationhappens in an organization

CultureCulture: values, customs, and beliefs of an : values, customs, and beliefs of an organizationorganization

•• tells us tells us whywhy things happen in a certain way in an things happen in a certain way in an organizationorganization

Culture, Climate, and BehaviorCulture, Climate, and Behavior

Assumptions aboutAssumptions abouthuman naturehuman nature

PracticesPractices

Assumptions aboutAssumptions abouthow the world workshow the world works

Assumptions aboutAssumptions aboutthe role of work in lifethe role of work in life

ProceduresProcedures

RewardedRewardedBehaviorsBehaviors

SafeSafe BehaviorBehavior

CultureCulture ClimateClimate BehavioralBehavioralConnectionConnection

(Culture)(Culture) ((ClimateClimate)) (Behavior)(Behavior)

Safety ClimateSafety Climate

Perceived relevance of safety to job behaviorPerceived relevance of safety to job behavior•• Safety training programsSafety training programs: taken seriously by : taken seriously by

employees and are viewed as important employees and are viewed as important prerequisites for successful job performanceprerequisites for successful job performance

•• Safety and work paceSafety and work pace: higher work pace is : higher work pace is viewed as potentially hazardousviewed as potentially hazardous

•• Level of riskLevel of risk: risk perception at the : risk perception at the workplaceworkplace

Safety ClimateSafety Climate

Perceived management attitude toward Perceived management attitude toward safety behaviorsafety behavior

•• Safety committeeSafety committee: : accorded high statusaccorded high status

•• Safety officerSafety officer: : accorded high statusaccorded high status

•• Safety behaviorSafety behavior: : used in promotional used in promotional decisions and has a positive impact on social decisions and has a positive impact on social statusstatus

Positive Safety CulturePositive Safety Culture•• Internally Internally not externally drivennot externally driven•• ProactiveProactive rather than Reactiverather than Reactive•• Integration Integration of safety into all workplace of safety into all workplace

practicespractices•• EmployeeEmployee’’s s wellwell--being being is given priority over is given priority over

productionproduction•• Openness in Openness in communication communication (i.e. responsible (i.e. responsible

learning)learning)•• Causes Causes for incidents and opportunities for for incidents and opportunities for

improvements improvements sought as sought as interaction interaction of many of many causal factorscausal factors

Can Organizational Culture be Changed?

Planned Planned Organizational Organizational

ChangeChange

Mergers andMergers andAcquisitionsAcquisitions

Changing Organizational Culture

Changing Changing Organizational Culture Organizational Culture

LeadershipLeadershipTurnoverTurnover

DramaticDramaticCrisisCrisis

Change ModelsChange Models

Organizational ChangeOrganizational ChangeOrganizational Change

UnfreezingUnfreezing ChangingChanging RefreezingRefreezing

LewinLewin’’s Threes Three--Step ProcessStep Process

Resistance to ChangeResistance to Change

Individual LevelIndividual Level

•• HabitsHabits•• Fear of the UnknownFear of the Unknown•• SecuritySecurity•• Economic FactorsEconomic Factors•• Selective Information ProcessingSelective Information Processing

Resistance to ChangeResistance to Change

Group/Organizational LevelGroup/Organizational Level•• Group inertiaGroup inertia•• Structural inertiaStructural inertia•• Threat to existing relationshipsThreat to existing relationships•• Threat to existing allocationsThreat to existing allocations•• Threat to expertise Threat to expertise •• Prior unsuccessful change effortsPrior unsuccessful change efforts

How do we Reduce Resistance?How do we Reduce Resistance?

SelfSelf--initiated (+)initiated (+)vs.vs.

Imposed (Imposed (--))changechange

IndividualIndividual’’ssdispositiondisposition

towardtowardchange ofchange of

organizationorganization

SelfSelf

PsychologicalPsychologicalownershipownership

of theof theorganizationorganization

OrganizationOrganization

Evolutionary (+)Evolutionary (+)vs.vs.

Revolutionary (Revolutionary (--))changechange

Additive (+)Additive (+)vs.vs.

Subtractive (Subtractive (--))changechange

SOURCE: From SOURCE: From ““Psychological Ownership in Organizations: Psychological Ownership in Organizations: Conditions Under Which Individuals Promote and Resist Conditions Under Which Individuals Promote and Resist ChangeChange”” by K.T. Dirks, L.L.Cummings and J.L.Pierce, 1996,by K.T. Dirks, L.L.Cummings and J.L.Pierce, 1996,in in Research in Organizational Change and Development,Research in Organizational Change and Development,Vol. 9 (pp. 1Vol. 9 (pp. 1--24), edited by R..W. Woodman and W.A. 24), edited by R..W. Woodman and W.A.

Pasmore, Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.Pasmore, Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.

Techniques for Reducing Techniques for Reducing Resistance Resistance

••Education and CommunicationEducation and Communication••Participation and InvolvementParticipation and Involvement••Building Support and CommitmentBuilding Support and Commitment••Reward Constructive BehaviorsReward Constructive Behaviors••Selecting People who Accept ChangeSelecting People who Accept Change••Manipulation and CoercionManipulation and Coercion

What are the Steps to What are the Steps to Creating a Winning Culture?Creating a Winning Culture?

Creating and Sustaining a Creating and Sustaining a Winning CultureWinning Culture

1.1. Perform a Perform a culture audit culture audit and set up new and set up new expectationsexpectations

2.2. AlignAlign the teamthe team3.3. Focus on Focus on resultsresults and build and build

accountabilityaccountability4.4. Manage the Manage the driversdrivers of cultureof culture5.5. Communicate Communicate and and celebratecelebrate

Elements of Successful Elements of Successful Organizational Culture ChangeOrganizational Culture Change

•• Strong LeaderStrong Leader•• Clear Vision of What Needs to be DoneClear Vision of What Needs to be Done•• Communicate the VisionCommunicate the Vision•• Development of New Work PracticesDevelopment of New Work Practices•• Organization that is Open to LearnOrganization that is Open to Learn•• Consistency in Practices, Procedures Consistency in Practices, Procedures

and Reward Behaviors: institutionalize and Reward Behaviors: institutionalize new approachesnew approaches

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Guidelines for Creating Guidelines for Creating Positive Safety Culture Positive Safety Culture

Make employees Make employees believebelieve in safety: Start at the topin safety: Start at the top•• Strong leaderStrong leader•• Commitment from managementCommitment from management•• Feedback to employeesFeedback to employees

Communicate safety clearly and effectively: Send Communicate safety clearly and effectively: Send signals that safety matterssignals that safety matters•• Avoid Avoid ““routineroutine”” safety violationssafety violations•• Get employees involvedGet employees involved

Guidelines for Creating Guidelines for Creating Positive Safety Culture (cont.) Positive Safety Culture (cont.)

Encourage discussion and documentationEncourage discussion and documentation•• Good information flow (open discussions of Good information flow (open discussions of

safetysafety--related issues)related issues)•• Reporting systems Reporting systems

Search for solutionsSearch for solutions•• Examine safety at all levelsExamine safety at all levels•• Promote different methodsPromote different methods•• Establish crossEstablish cross--level safety committeelevel safety committee

Guidelines for Creating Guidelines for Creating Positive Safety Culture (cont.) Positive Safety Culture (cont.)

Prepare through trainingPrepare through training•• Promote safe behaviors and attitudesPromote safe behaviors and attitudes•• Endorse importance of safety for effective onEndorse importance of safety for effective on--

thethe--job behavior job behavior Visibly reward safety acts and positive changesVisibly reward safety acts and positive changes

•• BehaviorBehavior--based evaluation and reward systembased evaluation and reward system•• Establish budget for safety Establish budget for safety

Workplace Safety at ALCOA: Workplace Safety at ALCOA: A Case StudyA Case Study

QuestionsQuestions