Leading the way to safety: The development of the S.A.F.E.R. leadership model

Timur Ozbilir, M.S., Jennifer H.K. Wong, M.S., Jennifer K. Dimoff, M.S., Aleka M. MacLellan, M.S.

Lenora Collins, M.S.,Kevin Kelloway, Ph.D.

PURPOSE• Good leadership predicts subordinates’ safe

behaviours and lower injury rate (Barling, Loughlin, & Kelloway,

2002; Zohar, 2002) • Most of the research on safety and leadership to date

has adapted measurements from existing leadership models, which are too abstract for use in training

PURPOSE: To develop and validate a practical measurement of safety leadership

MODELSPEAK: Behaviors relating to one-way dissemination of information

ACT: Observable behaviours to demonstrate leaders’ own adherence to safety at work

FOCUS: Behaviours that demonstrate commitment, persistence, motivation, and engaging in monitoring

ENGAGE: Behaviours of the leader that encourage two-way/open involvement in safety decisions

RECOGNIZE: Individualized praise, appreciation and recognition of safety accomplishments

METHOD

• 15-item scale developed using a process recommended by Hinkin and Schriesheim (1989)

• 264 blue collar workers in the United States

• Online survey including a SAFER and similar measures as well as outcome measures

RESULTS • EFA: Only one factor

• Correlations– SAFER is positively related to safety-specific

transformational leadership and safety leadership, and negatively related to safety-specific passive leadership

– SAFER is associated with safety-related subordinate outcomes, such as ease of safety communication with leaders, higher safety compliance and participation, more safety citizenship behaviors, improved safety climate, and enhanced safety-specific trust in leaders

RESULTS • Hierarchical regressions:

– S.A.F.E.R. leadership was positively associated with ease of safety communication, safety climate, and safety-specific trust above and beyond the effects of safety-specific transformational leadership and safety leadership

CONCLUSION

•A measure of safety leadership that focuses on leaders’ observable behaviours•Not only does the S.A.F.E.R. Leadership Scale predict behavioural safety performance, but it also predicts safety attitudes and perceptions (ease of safety communication, safety climate, and safety-specific trust) beyond the two existing safety leadership measures

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

•As safety behaviours may take time to develop, longitudinal designs should be used •Use of various sources of ratings to avoid common method bias•Safety leadership training program

Thank you! Thank you

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS

S.A.F.E.R. Leadership Scale

Talks about safety related problems at work SpeakTalks about how to prevent accidents Speak

Communicates a positive vision of workplace safety Speak

Complies with the safety protocols he/she describes ActPays attention to safety rules and regulations ActPractices what he/she preaches when it comes to safety Act

Demonstrates a commitment to a safe workplace FocusMonitors for any unsafe actions FocusMotivates employees to be safe Focus

Encourages employees to suggest new ways to improve safety EngageAsks employees to share their perspectives on safety EngageEncourages employees to report any challenges related to safety Engage

Praises employees when they are being safe RecognizeRecognizes employees who perform their jobs safely RecognizePraises employees who prioritize safety Recognize

LIMITATIONS

•Cross-sectional•Common method bias•Factor structure

Correlation Matrix  M SD Speak Act_ Focus Engage

Recognize

SaferSafeLea

dSafeTra

nsPassive

LeadSafeTru

stCitizen

SafeClimate

SafeComm

SafePart

SafeComp

Speak_ 4.97 1.67 1 .87** .91** .93** .87** .97** .82** .82** -.40** .74** .56** .74** .66** .51** .39**

Act_ 5.21 1.64 .87** 1 .91** .83** .78** .92** .82** .78** -.47** .78** .50** .78** .73** .46** .41**

Focus 5.08 1.61 .91** .91** 1. .89** .84** .96** .82** .80** -.45** .78** .51** .76** .69** .49** .40**

Engage

_4.84 1.66

.93** .83** .89** 1 .90** .96** .81** .83** -.37** .74** .61** .73** .65** .52** .38**

Recogni

ze4.68 1.77

.87** .78** .84** .90** 1 .93** .75** .80** -.34** .70** .56** .68** .62** .48** .31**

Safer_ 4.96 1.58 .97** .92** .96** .96** .93** 1 .85** .85** -.43** .79** .58** .78** .70** .52** .40**

SafeLea

d3.67 .95

.82** .82** .82** .81** .75** .85** 1 .86** -.39** .84** .56** .76** .69** .55** .46**

SafeTra

ns3.42 1.02

.82** .78** .80** .83** .80** .85** .86** 1 -.31** .77** .68** .70** .67** .50** .37**

Passive

Lead2.45 1.12

-.40** -.47** -.45** -.37** -.34** -.43** -.39** -.31** 1 -.49** -.07 -.67** -.61** -.17** -.30**

SafeTru

st3.88 1.03

.74** .78** .78** .74** .70** .79** .84** .77** -.49** 1 .42** .79** .75** .45** .44**

Citizen 3.37 .92 .56** .50** .51** .61** .56** .58** .56** .68** -.07 .42** 1 .39** .41** .63** .36**

SafeCli

mate3.47 .86

.74** .78** .76** .73** .68** .78** .76** .70** -.67** .79** .39** 1 .81** .41** .44**

SafeCo

mm3.72 .89

.66** .73** .69** .65** .62** .70** .69** .67** -.61** .75** .41** .81** 1 .44** .45**

SafePar

t

3.90 .75 .51** .46** .49** .52** .48** .52** .55** .50** -.17** .45** .63** .41** .44** 1 .69**

SafeCo

mp

4.24 .74 .39** .41** .40** .38** .31** .40** .46** .37** -.30** .44** .36** .44** .45** .69** 1

Regressions

 Safety-specific Trust Safety Citizenship Safety Climate

Safety Communication

Safety Participation Safety Compliance

Step and Variable β R2Δ β R2Δ β R2Δ β R2Δ β R2Δ β R2Δ

Step 1   .72c   .47c   .59c   .50c   .30c   .22c

Safety-specific Transformational Leadership

.17a   .78c   .17a   .26b   .12   -.12  

Safety Leadership .70c   -.11   .62c   .47c   .44c   .57c  

Step 2   .01c   .00   .06c   .03c   .01   .00

Safety-specific Transformational Leadership

.06   .75c   -.06   .09   .04   -.16  

Safety Leadership .59c   -.13   -.40   .30b   .36b   .53c  

S.A.F.E.R. Leadership .24c   .05   .49c   .38c   .19   .08