walker-qualitativeinvestigation-2008.pdf (1.15 MB)
A qualitative investigation of the safety culture of two organisations
A qualitative investigation of the safety culture of two contrasting organisations was undertaken. The research sought to identify categories and themes in the data that highlighted similarities and differences in salient safety issues for employees from the two organisations. The participants were 131 employees attending safety training sessions in a large national retail organisation and a heavy manufacturing organisation. Unobtrusive observation was used to collect data during the safety training sessions. Thematic analysis was used to identify emergent categories and themes from the data. Ten broad categories with relevant themes were identified and provided some insight into the safety culture of the two organisations, with both similarities and differences being evident. Participants from both organisations mentioned management issues in relation to safety, discussed the impact of employee risk- taking behaviour on safety, made reference to a blame culture, and raised integrity issues regarding safety. For the manufacturing organisation, a number of themes focused on contractor issues, while in the retail organisation, several themes highlighted differences in safety attitudes between head office and store-level employees.
History
Journal
Journal of occupational health and safety : Australia and New ZealandVolume
24Issue
3Pagination
201 - 212Publisher
CCH Australia LtdLocation
Sydney, N.S.W.ISSN
0815-6409Language
engPublication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2008, CCH AustraliaUsage metrics
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