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Nuclear safety culture: a unitary or home-grown concept?

10 April 2014

Workshop on Global Safety Culture - National

Factors Relevant to Safety Culture, IAEA

Discussion threads…

2014/04/08 2

Changes in the world of work

Safety challenges to nuclear safety

International nuclear safety culture frameworks

Assumptions of safety culture

Intercultural research: Hofstede & GLOBE

Group discussion

Summary & Closing

Changes in the in the world of work

• New entrants to the industry

• Changing workforce demographics

• Complexity of work environments

• Limitations of technology on safety

2014/04/08 3

Safety challenges to nuclear safety

2014/04/08 4

Human factors

Organisational factors

Technology

• Slips, trips, & mistakes

• Errors

• Faults

• Rigidities in perceptions &

beliefs

• Organisational exclusivity

• Information

• Variable disjunction of

information

• Failure to comply with

procedures

• Trivialising emergent issues

• Nature of nuclear technology

• Complexity

• Tight coupling

• Redundancy

The response: uniform international nuclear safety culture frameworks

2014/04/08 5

Management commitment to

safety

Training quality

Prioritising safety

Personal responsibility

for safety

Safety communication

Questioning attitude

Supervisor responsibility

for safety

Decision-making

Willingness to raise concerns

Safety is a clearly

recognised value

Safety is learning driven

Safety is integrated into

all activities

Leadership for safety is clear

Accountability of safety is clear

IAEA

INPO

Assumptions of safety culture in the nuclear industry

• Strong emphasis on individual accountability

• Open & reporting

• Low power differential between leader and follower

• Degree of assertiveness (courage of safety convictions)

• High trust in institution and individual

• Learning driven, rather than blame / punishment driven

• Performance and results orientated (high standards and low tolerances)

• Uncertainty avoidant (conservative decision-making)

2014/04/08 6

Intercultural research: Hofstede’s work

7

.....

High Power Distance (centralised, top-down control)

Low Power Distance (equality & empowerment)

Power

Distance

Individualism

(individual rights)

Collectivism

(loyalty) Self

Femininity

(non-traditional gender roles)

Masculinity

(traditional gender roles) Gender

Rule avoidant

(Avoid rules & structures)

Values predictability

(strong traditions & rituals) Predictability

Short term orientation

(present focused; quick results)

Long term orientation

(invests in future, patient) Time

Panama & Malaysia United States

United States UK & Australia

Austria Japan United States

Portugal Greece United States

Hong Kong & Taiwan China United States

Cross cultural dimensions & findings: Project GLOBE

2014/04/08 8

Dimension & Description Illustrative Countries

Uncertainty avoidance: Seek certainty

by relying on established norms, rituals

and practices

High – Singapore & Switzerland

Low: Russia & Greece

Power Distance: Expectations about

distribution of power in society

High: India, Brazil, South Korea, Russia

Low: Denmark, Netherlands

Assertiveness: Confrontational/

aggressive; favours direct

communication; “can-do” attitude

High: US, Austria, Germany, Nigeria

Low: Sweden, Japan, New Zealand

Performance orientation: Encourages

and rewards performance improvement

and excellence

High: US, Singapore, China,

Switzerland

Low: Greece, Russia; Argentina,

Venezuela

Cross cultural dimensions & findings: Project GLOBE (cont.)

2014/04/08 9

Dimension & Description Illustrative Countries

Future orientation: Future orientated

planning and investing

High: Singapore, Switzerland, Malaysia

Low: Italy, Russia, Poland, Argentina

Humane Orientation: Society rewards

fairness, kindness to others, generosity

High: Egypt, Ireland, Zambia

Low: Germany, Spain, Poland

Institutional collectivism: Rewards

collective action and distribution of

resources

High: Sweden, Japan, Singapore

Low: Greece, Brazil

In-group collectivism: Pride, loyalty

closeness to family and organisations

High: India, China, Egypt

Low: US, UK, Canada, Finland

Gender egalitarianism: Gender

differences and gender equality

High: Sweden, France, Canada

Low: India, Egypt, South Korea

Participant discussion session

• Should there be a single international safety culture or different safety cultures that take local customs, norms and values into account?

• Are existing nuclear safety frameworks culturally neutral, or do they portray a Western bias?

• What are the implications for nuclear safety?

2014/04/08 10

Summary & Closing

2014/04/08 11

Thank You

Johann Kritzinger

Corporate Specialist:

Organisational & Human Performance

Nuclear Operating Unit

Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd.

Republic of South Africa