Employee safety priority: When is the rate of work-related driving accidents lower?

Abstract

We challenge the employee safety theory using an ambidexterity lens. We investigate which situation leads to a lower number of work-related road accidents: a single-priority situation focused on road safety, or a dual-priority situation in which both road safety and customer service are priorities. Employee safety theory puts forward an ‘either-or’ approach in which employee safety must be the first priority above and beyond all others. In contrast, the ambidexterity theory’s ‘both\and’ approach suggests a simultaneously coexistence of priorities. We bridge this gap between the theories by referring to the type of relationship that exists between distinct and contradictory priorities. A ‘both\and’ relationship is associated with best performance when the priorities are interdependent and mutually enabling. However, if the relationship between priorities is of a preventive nature, as in the case of safety and customer service, the ‘either-or’ approach is associated with better performance. Thus, we hypothesize that work-related road accidents would be lower in a safety-first, single-priority situation compared to a dual-priority situation encompassing both road safety and customer service. Results from forty- three units in three organizations that make intensive use work-related driving support our hypothesis. We discuss the theoretical implications for employee safety and ambidexterity theories and the practical aspects of our results.