Leaders’ Influence Tactics for Safety: An Exploratory Study in the Maritime Context

Tae-Eun Kim,Anne Haugen Gausdal

doi:10.3390/safety6010008

Tae-Eun Kim, Anne Haugen Gausdal

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/safety6010008

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Abstract

A growing body of research has pointed out effective leadership as an important influencing factor for safety performance in various high-risk industrial contexts. However, limited systematic knowledge is available about how leaders can effectively persuade rule compliance, and stimulate actions and participation. Recognizing effective means of influence is of value for safety leadership development and evaluation. This study seeks to empirically investigate leaders’ influence tactics for safety in a maritime context. Qualitative exploration is performed with data being collected through focus group discussions and individual interviews with 41 experienced shipboard leaders from various shipping sectors. Five core influence tactics—coaching, role modeling, pressure, consultation and exchange tactics—appeared to be the shipboard leaders’ effective tactics to influence subordinates’ safety compliance and participation behaviors in ship operations. Safety leadership influences flow from exemplification, expert and personal sources of power, and being pursued through soft and rational influence tactics rather than coercion or constructive inducements. The results indicate that the more relationship-oriented the leaders are, the more effective their safety leadership would be in influencing safety behaviors. The implication of the results for maritime safety leadership research, maritime education and training are discussed.

Highlights

Despite continual improvements to safety records at sea, the scope and severity of maritime accidents persist [1,2]
Following up on our previous research [12], the intent of the present study is to address the research gap by inductively exploring the following research question: What are the shipboard leaders’ effective tactics to influence subordinates’ safety compliance and participation behaviours in ship operations? The paper begins with Section 2 describing the theoretical background of safety in ship operations
As described by the informants, the context of ship operations demands reliability and efficiency with less room for misconduct; the shipboard leaders and the teams generally committed to producing results and act efficiently towards pre-defined priorities and goals

Summary

Introduction

Despite continual improvements to safety records at sea, the scope and severity of maritime accidents persist [1,2]. E.g., deck (bridge) and engine officers, are the ones who closely related to supervision and operations, with an essential role in influencing safety culture, crew members’ safety perception, and safe work practices [2,9]. Their leadership competence has been considered as an important position-based expectation, as stated in the 2010-amended International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) [10].

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