Leading a Safety Culture Dr. Paul Melendez Assistant Dean, Executive Education Founder, Center for Leadership Ethics Professor of Practice Department 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 Pros Foster Understanding Provide identity Build Commitment Facilitate Control Cons Inability 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

Culture Image 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 embraced IV.Change takes time

Thank You