Gilbert's Behavior Engineering Model: Contemporary support for an established theory

Abstract

This study was an effort to add to the body of research surrounding Gilbert's Behavior Engineering Model (BEM). The model was tested to determine its ability to explain factor relationships of organizational safety culture in a high-risk work environment. Three contextual variables were measured: communication, resource availability, and incentives; and the impact of contextual variables on safety motivation were evaluated. The study produced three outcomes: (1) data and the BEM model demonstrated good fit, (2) communication and resource availability were indirectly related to safety motivation, and (3) incentives mediated the indirect effects of communication and resource availability with motivation. Research findings serve to inform the practice of human performance technology, as Gilbert's model is a primary performance diagnostic tool, adaptable to essentially any workplace context.