Leading a Safety Culture

Dr. Paul MelendezAssistant Dean, Executive EducationFounder, Center for Leadership Ethics

Professor of PracticeDepartment of Management and Organizations

Overview• Firefighting History Quiz• Culture:

-Defined-Characteristics-Impact on Management-Conflict-Function-Iceberg

• Leading a Safety Culture• Going Forward…

Culture Defined

…comes from Latin “cultura” which is related to cult or worship.

…the term refers to the result of human interaction.

…acquired knowledge that people use to interpret experience and generate social behavior. This knowledge forms values, creates attitudes, and influences behaviors.

…the way we do things here!

Characteristics of Culture

• Learned• Shared• Transgenerational• Symbolic• Patterned• Adaptive

Cultural Impact on Management

• Decision-Making• Rewards• Procedures• Organizational Loyalty• Cooperation v. Competition• Stability v. Innovation

Conflicting Cultures

Function of Culture

ProsFoster Understanding

Provide identity

Build Commitment

Facilitate Control

ConsInability to change

Disillusionment

Unethical behavior

Burnout

The Culture Iceberg

Artifacts

Values

Assumptions

Artifacts

Behavioral Symbols

Physical Symbols

Verbal Symbols

Values

Shared principles

Enduring beliefs

Reflect desirability

Assumptions

Often unconscious

Guides our perceptions

Determines what & why

Leading a Safety Culture

…defined as the ability of individuals or organizations to deal effectively with risks so as to avoid loss and yet still achieve organizational goals.

…a fire department with a strong safety culture should be able to get the fire out without any firefighter injuries or deaths.

…changing the safety culture of a fire department can challenge organizational identify which could lead to resistance, but through leadership change is possible.

Leading a Safety Culture

Behaviors

Values

Assumptions

CultureImage

Leading a Safety Culture

Culture

Organizational Identity

Leading a Safety Culture

Forms of Resistance:• Denial• Rationalization• Attributional Egoism• Self Aggrandizement• Melioration Bias• Rare-event Bias

Going Forward…

Factors for change:

I. Change in culture II. Change from the top down II. Change must be embracedIV. Change takes time

Thank You