Safety Climate in the Utility Industry: Perceptual Discrepancies Across Organizational Hierarchy.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to extend safety climate research by considering perceptions across the following three hierarchical levels within a workplace (1) senior leaders/executives, (2) field leaders/supervisors, and (3) front-line employees. METHODS: We conducted a quantitative survey study at a US utility company where we collected data related to safety climate perceptions and employee-reported safety behaviors across the different levels of organizational hierarchy. RESULTS: The findings revealed the highest safety climate scores among senior leaders/executives, followed by field leaders/supervisors, and then employees, suggesting potential discrepancies between espoused and enacted safety values in the workplace. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that supervisors and top managers may have different mental models of workplace safety compared with employees. Consequently, assessing perceptions at different organizational levels provides a fuller picture of safety in the workplace.