Transcript The Role of Corporate Culture in Safety Performance Presented by Judith A. Erickson, Ph.D. President, Erickson Associates American Industrial Hygiene Conference & Expo Embracing Change June 2

The Role of Corporate Culture in
Safety Performance
Presented by
Judith A. Erickson, Ph.D.
President, Erickson Associates
American Industrial Hygiene Conference & Expo
Embracing Change
June 2 - 7, 2001
New Orleans, Louisiana
EHS is Changing to:
• Blameless
• Integrated
• Interactive
Treating Safety and
Health Differently
• Piecemeal Programs Do Not
Work in the Long Run
• Scientific Research:
Management Commitment &
Employee Participation
•Changing U.S. Businesses
Importance of
Understanding Culture
• What Goes on in Organizations
• Informal Rules Dictating Behavior
• Basis for Everything Valued
• Where it Helps or Hurts Safety
OSHA Strategic Goal
“Change Workplace Culture to
Increase Employer and Worker
Awareness of, Commitment to,
and Involvement in Safety and
Health”
The Role of Management
• Commitment
• Safety vs. Other Concerns
• Integration
• Personal Involvement
• Accountability
• Support
Corporate Culture
• Assumptions
• Values
• Actions and Behavior
Assumptions
• Human Nature
• Human Relationships
Values
• Organizational Standards of Desired Ends
• Actions to Attain These End Points
• Oughts and Shoulds
• Preferences that Indicate Rightness of
Certain Beliefs and Practices Over Others
• Interdependent and Interrelated
How Management
Communicates
• By What It Does
• By What It Pays Attention To
• By What It Ignores
• By What It Measures and Controls
High
Safety-Performing
Companies
•Environment
•Communication
•EHS Professionals
•Employee Treatment
Study Conclusions
• Organizational Issues
• Positive Treatment
• Does Money Talk?
• Safety Programs Alone Don’t Work
• Safety Program Evaluation
Soft Skills
• Trustworthiness
• Communication
• Integrity
• Adaptability
• Interpersonal Skills
Current Management Book
Themes
• Pay Attention to Employees
for Commitment and
Productivity
• Employee Fulfillment is a
Vital Component of Corporate
Success
Organizational Factors
• Organizational Structure
• Organizational Importance of Safety and
Health
• Responsibility/Accountability
• Communication
• Management Behavior
• Employee Involvement
• Employee Responses/Behavior
Perceptions
The way we organize and interpret
our sensory input to give meaning
to our environment.
Perception Surveys
• Feedback on Past Performance
• Information for Future Direction
• Design of Policies and Programs
• Scientific Validity Crucial
• Anonymous and Confidential
How Corporate Culture
Changes
• Major Crises
•Survival Issues
•Mergers, New Management,
Takeovers
•Management Wants to Change
Corporate Culture
versus
Safety Culture
Culture is
the Key
• Management Leadership
• Employee Participation
Techniques
Do Not
Work
Rethinking EHS:
Not Zeroing in
on
Injuries and Accidents
New EHS Approach:
More Holistic
and
Integrated
Evaluating by
Organizational Factors
Improves:
•
•
•
•
•
Safety Performance
Productivity
Communication
Commitment
Profitability