cricos no. 00213j dr herbert biggs, associate professor and principal research fellow, carrs-q,...

CRICOS No. 00213J

Dr Herbert Biggs, Associate Professor and Principal Research Fellow, CARRS-Q, Queensland University of Technology

Safety in Resources Conference, Hilton Hotel, Brisbane. 27-29 February 2012

Negotiating group dynamics for better safety performance

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Outline of Presentation

• Safety psychology and workplace safety• Commitment, Motivational and attitudinal

components of safety• Leadership• Group Dynamics and Group Change• Case Study from Construction• Discussion and Questions

Safety psychology and workplace safety

• Conceptualising Workplace Safety– Safety performance: two concepts– Antecedents of safety performance

• Person related– Safety knowledge (proximal)– Safety motivation (proximal)– The big five (distal)

» Conscientiousness» Neuroticism» Extraversion» locus of control» Propensity for risk taking

Safety psychology and workplace safety

• Antecedents of safety performance– Situation related

» Safety climate• Management commitment• HR practices• Safety systems• Supervisor support• Internal group processes • Boundary management• Risk• Work pressure

» Leadership• Quality and type of leadership including LMX and transformational

Understanding what builds employee commitment

• Understand their role• See how they add value• Feel challenged by their

work• Have clarity about their

goalsr

Competency CommunicationLeadershipComfort


• Believe the organization is viable

• Experience a sense of team

• Feel they are treated equally and fairly

• Feel part of a community• Engage in dialogue with

management


• See that leaders are empathetic

• Feel a sense of stability• Believe that leaders are

in tune with their issues• Understand the vision

and plan for organizational growth




• Receive valuable information frequently

• See managers as trustworthy and candid

• Meet regularly with their manager and team face-to-face

• Receive valuable information frequently

• See managers as trustworthy and candid

• Meet regularly with their manager and team face-to-face




Motivational and attitudinal components of safety

• Create an environment that enhances the motivation to engage in safety-related behaviours

• Behavioural operant theory. Theory: Behaviour followed by a positive reinforcing experience is more likely to re-occur than when followed by a negative experience

• Feedback. Giving employees feedback of their own safe performance of work tasks relative to goals that are set for safe work performance

• Goal setting. When participative goals in safe behaviour are set employees improve performance on both set and unset behaviours

Motivational and attitudinal components of safety

• Safety Climate and Leadership– Safety climate

• The priority that organisations place on safety relative to other organisational goals is the primary component of safety climate

• Relate to safety performance and safety outcomes

– Leadership• Leadership is related to safety climate and plays a significant role in

safety performance• Supervisors who engage in safe practices tend to have positive

safety climates in their unit• Transformational leaders challenge subordinates to go beyond

individual safety needs for the collective good

Motivational and attitudinal components of safety. Ford, M.T., Tetrick, L.E. (2008). Safety motivation and human resource management in North America. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 19, 8, 1472-1485.

Some areas of potential future research issues include the role of values in safety motivation and the effect of shared responsibility on safety motivation.

Leadership Styles

• Leadership- the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of goals

Transformational Leadership

• Leadership as a process of transforming others:– Changing attitudes and assumptions– Building commitment to a new ideal or

mission– Empowering others so they can have an

effect

• Focus is on the leader’s effect on followers

Charismatic Leadership

• Leadership as an attributed state where:– Followers see the leader as an idol and role

model– Followers trust the leader– Followers are easily influenced and swayed

by the leader

• Focus is on the leader’s effect on followers

Bass’s theory of Transformational Leadership

• Involves aspects of transformational and charismatic leadership

• Leadership is seen as both leader behaviour, and follower attributions

• Focus is on how the leader interacts with followers

• Leader / follower interaction patterns grouped into a number of leadership styles

Bass’s Transformational Leadership

• Leaders transform followers by:– Making them more aware of the importance

and value of what they are doing– Getting followers to aspire to idealised values

or missions– Motivating them to fulfill high order needs

(Maslow)– Inducing them to transcend self interest for

the good of the group

Attributes of a Leader

• Curiosity: Leaders are learners. They wonder about every aspect of their charge. They find out what they need to know in order to pursue their goals.

• Risk: Effective leaders take calculated risks when necessary to achieve their objectives. If a mistake is made, the effective leader will learn from the mistake and use it as an opportunity to explore other avenues.

Attributes of a Leader

• Dedication: The effective leader is dedicated to his or her charge, and will work assiduously on behalf of those following. The leader gives himself or herself entirely to the task when it is necessary.

Attributes of a Leader• Charisma: This may be the one attribute that is

the most difficult to cultivate. It conveys maturity, respect for your followers, compassion, a fine sense of humor, and a love of humanity. The result is that leaders have the capability to motivate people to excel.

• Listening: Leaders Listen! This is the most important attribute of all, listen to your followers.

What do Leaders Do?A leader:• sets direction, gives guidance, and motivates

people to accomplish• carries out the will of the group• is the champion for the cause of the group.• guides the group during times of storm:

otherwise the group motivation will collapse and the enterprise will fail.

What do Leaders Do?A leader:• knows what they want, why they want it, and how

to communicate to others what they want• recognizes and praises good work, gives credit to

others, makes everyone feel important

What do Leaders Do?A leader:• delegates well,• takes the blame,• communicates well to everyone, inspires loyalty• supports the ideas of others, but expects the best

Boss Versus Leader

• Boss• Drives his staff• Depends on authority• Inspires fear• Says “I”• Fixes the blame for

breakdowns• Knows how it is done• Says “go”

• Leader• Coaches staff• Depends on goodwill• Inspires enthusiasm• Says “we”• Fixes the breakdown• Shows how it is done• Says “lets go”

Abraham Lincoln

Developing Team Players

• Select– Team roles & technical skills– Belbin’s mix of technical & maintenance roles– 20-40% of members high on extraversion– Higher cognitive ability, conscientiousness,

agreeableness, & emotional stability

Developing Team Players cont.

• Train– Involves coordinating performance of

individuals who work together to achieve a common goal

– 3 Strategies• Cross-training• Team coordination training• Team leader training

– Problem-solving, communication, negotiation, conflict management, coaching skills

Developing Team Players cont.

• Feedback & Reward– Encourage co-operative rather than

competitive– Balanced recognition of indiv & team

achievements– Should provide team with info needed to

identify team problems & further develop team capabilities

– Extent to which team behaviors & outputs can be measured must be considered

– ProMES

Common Team Problems

• National culture is individualistic• Company culture rewards indiv achievements• Excessive meeting requirements• Lack of empowerment• Lack of skill• Management lacks trust in the concept of teams• Unclear objectives• Team in name, but not in process & goals

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Case Study, Construction: Goals and Outcomes of the CRC Construction

Innovation research• Projects: A Construction Safety Competency Framework

– Improving OH&S performance by creating and maintaining a safety culture– The development of a safety culture– Identification of safety management task (SMT’s) and

safety critical positions– Tasks and Positions Competency Matrix– Basic Guidelines for implementing the Framework– SMT’s and achievable Culture Outcomes – Explore and develop safety effectiveness indicators

(SEI’s)

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Case Study, Construction: Go to http://www.sbenrc.com.au/

for free downloads• A Construction Safety Competency Framework.• A Practical Guide to Safety Leadership• Safety Effectiveness Indicators

Thanks for your attention

• Questions?

• ([email protected])

cricos no. 00213j dr herbert biggs, associate professor and principal research fellow, carrs-q,...

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