Ekonomija: teorija i praksa (Jan 2017)
The influence of leadership on safety culture
Abstract
This paper defines what safety culture, safety climate, and safety leadership are. Furthermore, it addresses the influence of leadership as well as quantifiable elements of the influence of leadership on the culture of safety, including communication, supervision, workload, the well-being of the workforce, employee engagement, and individual impact. From a safety leadership point of view, it is crucial to note that, in many ways, the organization does not perceive the effect of culture because organization members consider everything that fits the cultural norms to be the normal operation of the business. Such members rarely reflect on the rationale of their thoughts and feelings, and when a new situation in such company requires mutual explanation, the leadership normally provides explanations that suit the members' assumptions and thoughts. Thus, with regard to the above-mentioned factors, this paper critically analyzes the impact of leadership in a culture of safety which is particularly critical for the nuclear sector. In conclusion, leadership plays an important role in ensuring the culture of safety in an organization. The safety climate of an organization can be achieved when safety leaders demonstrate strong commitment to safety, give positive examples of safety, as well as motivate workers. Subsequently, a positive effect on the culture of safety can be achieved by sustaining the efforts of safety leadership over a continuous period of time, causing employees to appreciate safety, which has positive effects on the safety culture.
