The influence of managerial safety practices and defensive communication climate on accident attributions
Abstract
Attribution theory has been recently proposed as a framework for understanding safety behavior in organizations. However, both the safety and attribution literatures suggest that contextual influences and organzational level variables should be considered as moderators of accident attributions. In a series of two field studies, two group level variables (i.e., managerial safety practices and defensive communication climate) were hypothesized to influence individual attributions regarding accidents. Specifically, a mediational relationship was expected in which the influence of managerial safety practices on attributions would be mediated by the defensive communication climate in a work group. In study 1, a between subjects manipulation of accident information presented in accident vignettes was employed so that workers either rated an accident caused by internal or external factors. Defensive communication was found to be a group level moderator of the relationship between informational cues and attributions, while managerial safety practices was not. In addition, there was no direct relationship between managerial safety practices and attributions, rendering a test of the mediational hypothesis inappropriate. Managerial safety practices, however, were negatively correlated with defensive communication. Study 2 utilized a correlational design in which all accident vignettes included conflicting information concerning the causes of the accident. The relationships revealed in study 1 were replicated by study 2. The importance of accurate causal evaluations of accidents, the role of defensive communication climate in attribution formation, and the implications for safety management and accountability campaigns are discussed.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Hofmann, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Occupational psychology|Management|Occupational safety|Labor relations
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