Exploratory Analyses of the Effects of Managerial Support and Feedback Consequences on Behavioral Safety Maintenance

Reviews indicate management commitment is vital to maintain behavioral safety processes. Similarly, the impact of observation frequency on safety behaviors is thought to be important. An employee-driven process which encompassed behavioral observations, goal-setting, and feedback was implemented in a paper mill with 55 workgroups using a within-group, time-series design. Data collected over 70 weeks show safety improved by 45% points with a corresponding 45% reduction of injuries. Management’s demonstrable support was significantly associated with behavioral safety performance. Observation M. Dominic Cooper is affiliated with School of Applied Health Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington. Address correspondence to: M. Dominic Cooper, School of Applied Health Sciences, HPER 116, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405 (E-mail: domcoope@ indiana.edu). Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, Vol. 26(3) 2006 Available online at http://jobm.haworthpress.com © 2006 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1300/J075v26n03_01 1 frequency appeared to be unrelated to the observed percent safe scores. doi:10.1300/J075v26n03_01[Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: Website: © 2006 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.]