Citation

Lefsrud LM, McLarnon MJW, Gellatly IR. Safety Sci. 2021; 142: e105385.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ssci.2021.105385

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In this study we introduce and illustrate a novel way of describing employees' perceptions of safety climate. Rather than treating core dimensions of safety climate as relatively independent, stand-alone variables, we examine natural combinations (i.e., patterns or configurations) of safety climate dimensions to better reflect the overall phenomenological experience of safety climate from the perspective of individual employees. We argue, and find, that a pattern-oriented approach to safety climate yields insights not available through traditional variable-centered analytic strategies. Using a mixture modeling technique, latent profile analysis, we cluster individuals (1259 Canadian employees drawn from a variety of safety-sensitive organizations within the oil and gas industry) who shared similar safety-related perceptions into distinct subgroups or patterns. Focusing on four factors of safety climate (management commitment, communication and use of procedures, tolerance to risk, and a general factor), four distinct safety-climate patterns were found: an optimal pattern and three sub-optimal patterns (negligent, disconnected, and lip service). Age was found to predict the likelihood of pattern membership. Outcomes, specifically perceived safety climate maturity and injury rate (based on claims data from the Canadian Workers' Compensation Board), demonstrated differential relations with the four safety climate profiles. Implications for improved practice and future research are discussed.

Language: en

Keywords

Latent profile analysis; Managerial implications; Safety climate; Workplace injuries