Acknowledging multiple "masculine" organizational identities: moving beyond the singular model of workplace safety culture to a multiple safety cultures perspective.

Adams, Nicholas Norman

Abstract

This research proposes a challenge to the singular notion of Workplace Safety Culture (WSC) recurrently popularised in Industrial Psychology and Human Factors scholarships. The investigation explores interconnections between workplace 'masculine' identities and institutional safety and risk-taking practices on a remote offshore oil and gas drilling platform: the 'Point Delta' oil installation operated by 'DrillMech' (both pseudonyms). While WSC is typically defined as the overarching safety attitude of an organization or workplace locale, findings uncovered four workplace cultures of identity underpinned by four distinct ideologies of oilfield masculinity. Three cultures were symbiotic and performed safety practices to uphold their workplace identities. One culture resisted these cultures, performing risk-taking practices to legitimize their masculine workplace 'oilman' identity. Implications for safety culture theorizing are discussed, primarily in the context of the inherent 'blind spot' of the homogenized 'single culture' approach that is ill-fitting for the complexities of contemporary modernity's organizational reality. This approach fails to acknowledge the presence of multiple cultures of organizational identity with different safety and risk practices that resist condensing into a singular 'safety culture'. Conclusions drawn suggest that the traditional singular notion of WSC is reductive; failing to account for the existence of multiple, distinct workplace cultures with varied safety and risk practices influenced by different identity ideologies. Regarding practice implications, outcomes highlight safety interventions in the workplace should be tailored to recognise and address diverse cultures and ideologies of identity present, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach to understand and build positive safety culture.

Citation

ADAMS, N.N. 2024. Acknowledging multiple "masculine" organizational identities: moving beyond the singular model of workplace safety culture to a multiple safety cultures perspective. Occupational psychology outlook [online], 3(2), pages 46-56. Available from: https://doi.org/10.53841/bpsopo.2024.3.2.46

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 1, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Sep 1, 2024
• Publication Date: Sep 1, 2024
• Deposit Date: Sep 11, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 12, 2024
• Journal: Occupational psychology outlook
• Print ISSN: 2976-8780
• Electronic ISSN: 2753-426X
• Publisher: British Psychological Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 3
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 46-56
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.53841/bpsopo.2024.3.2.46
• Keywords: Health and safety; Safety cultures; Workplace safety; Workplace cultures; Gender and work; Masculinity
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2473985