Journal of Applied Psychology · 2000 · 133 citations · 0 references
ManagementHuman Resource ManagementOrganizational BehaviorGroup DynamicsIndustrial-organizational PsychologyOccupational HealthGroup ClimateOccupational SafetyOrganizational ClimateSafety CultureSafety ManagementWorkplace SafetyBehavioral Safety ClimateOrganizational SafetySafety ClimateSafety Climate AssessmentSafety ProtectionWorkforce Safety ManagementWorkplace Safety Promotion
Safety climate perceptions are linked to supervisory practices rather than company policies. The study develops and tests a group‑level safety climate model to complement existing organization‑level models. The authors surveyed 53 work groups in one manufacturing firm and evaluated the model’s predictive validity against microaccident records. The model revealed homogeneous climate perceptions within groups, significant variation between groups, and a strong predictive relationship with microaccident rates, confirming an empirical link between safety climate and injury outcomes.
This article presents and tests a group-level model of safety climate to supplement the available organization-level model. Climate perceptions in this case are related to supervisory safety practices rather than to company policies and procedures. The study included 53 work groups in a single manufacturing company. Safety climate perceptions, measured with a newly developed scale, revealed both within-group homogeneity and between-groups variation. Predictive validity was measured with a new outcome measure, microaccidents, that refers to behavior-dependent on-the-job minor injuries requiring medical attention. Climate perceptions significantly predicted microaccident records during the 5-month recording period that followed climate measurement, when the effects of group- and individual-level risk factors were controlled. The study establishes an empirical link between safety climate perceptions and objective injury data.