RR744 - How management behaviours associated with successful health and safety performance relate to those associated with success in other domains
This study was instigated by an approach by HSE in December 2007, who were seeking a Delphi study under the heading 'How Management Behaviours Associated with Successful Health and Safety Performance Relate to those Associated with Success in Other Domains' to inform HSE's approach to managing health and Safety. HSE had already carried out or commissioned systematic literature reviews and supplementary studies and had concluded that the research base was limited. They were now seeking 'to use a Delphi approach to gather informed views from key, expert, stakeholders.
HSE posed four main questions: (a) what are the management factors/characteristics (including activities, behaviours and skills) that are associated with successful and unsuccessful business management? (b) How do the factors identified in (a) read across to affect success or failure in managing health and safety? (c) What, if any, other management factors/characteristics are uniquely associated with success or failure in managing health and safety (ie are not associated with business management in general)? and (d) How important/ effective are each of the factors identified in (a)–(c)? In addition, evidence was sought to allow comparison across different sectors of the economy'.
An Expert Delphi was employed for this study. Delphi is a method for structuring a group communication process so that the process is effective in allowing a group of individuals, as a whole to deal with a complex problem (Linstone and Turoff, 1975). Panel members for the study were selected from four constituencies, Academic, Business, Health and Safety Professionals and Regulators.
This report and the work it describes were funded by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Its contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect HSE policy.
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