Abstract
Purpose – The importance of developing theoretical models and their empirical validation, capable of explaining safety performance within organizations, has been pointed out by the scientific community. Fernandez-Muniz, Montes-Peon, and Vazquez-Ordaz (2007) proposed a model that integrates dimensions considered as determinants of safety culture to explain safety performance, which was tested with Occupational Health and Safety technicians of Spanish companies. This study aims to verify if that theoretical model obtains empirical support in the Portuguese context, considering the supervisors’ perspective. In addition, it also aims to contribute to the adaptation of the measurement instrument, which allowed for the empirical test of the model in the Portuguese context. Design/methodology/approach – The study conducted is quantitative with a cross-sectional study design. In total, 174 supervisors at different levels of supervision, in different Portuguese companies from different activity sectors, participated in the study. Data were gathered through the Portuguese version of the instrument developed by the authors of the model (Fernandez-Muniz et al., 2007). Findings – The results partially confirm the proposed model wherein supervisors play a determinant role in the development of safety culture and thus in the safety performance of organizations. Originality/value – This study addresses one of the demands present in the literature, having empirically tested a model that aims to explain the safety performance of organizations, expanding its application to the management perspective and to a different national context. The results emphasize the role supervisors may play in the development of safer organizations.
Highlights
The concept of safety culture has received much attention from researchers and organizations (Choudhry, Fang, & Mohamed, 2007)
It is important to note that there is divergence among researchers concerning the definition of the concept, and concerning its use, and there is an evident discussion in the scientific literature regarding the difference between “safety culture” and “safety climate” (Wiegmann, Zhang, Thaden, Sharma, & Mitchell, 2002)
The overall adjustment quality of the models was evaluated according to the same adjustment indices used by Fernández-Muñiz et al (2007): Chi-Square to Degrees of Freedom Ratio (χ2/gl), Goodness-of-Fit Index (GFI) and Adjusted Goodness-of-Fit Index (AGFI), Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), Incremental Fit Index (IFI), and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA), P[RMSEA ≤ 0.05]
Summary
The concept of safety culture has received much attention from researchers and organizations (Choudhry, Fang, & Mohamed, 2007). Fernández-Muñiz et al, 2007; Halligan & Zecevic, 2011; Stanton, Salmon, Jenkins, & Walker, 2009) have conceived the concept of “safety culture” as a multidimensional construct, there is a lack of consensus regarding all the dimensions and structures that constitute it. In this context, Guldenmund (2000) stated that it is very important for models to be developed since, as simple as these may be, they should be the starting point for any successful scientific advancement. This model, as will be seen below, is based on the concept of safety culture, and is the focus of this paper
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