Risk, safety and culture in Brazil and Argentina: the case of TransInc Corporation

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to show how employees' work cultural values in three cities of two different South American countries (Buenos Aires, Sao Paolo, and Rio de Janeiro) differ, and how these differences are related to the manner in which people perceive risk and construe the meaning of danger. Design/methodology/approach - A total of 220 line employees of a multinational enterprise in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires participated in this study. The paper compared the means of reported job satisfaction and cultural values among the cities. Furthermore, regressions are used for cultural values on perceptions of risks from job hazards. Findings - There are different cultural values across the cities. These cultural values are associated with the manner people understand risk and respond to risk management programs. This could eventually influence the success of the implementation of safety management programs. Research limitations/implications - This is a study carried out in a single organization within the transportation industry. Managers and scholars must be careful in generalizing these findings across geographical locations and industries. Practical implications - The findings challenge the assumption that safety‐training methods can be applied indiscriminately in every country without taking into account national culture and intra‐national subculture differences. Originality/value - This study explores the importance of culture in the transfer and administration of US‐made safety programs to South America within the context of the high‐risk transportation industry segment. Its findings are important for multinational enterprises concerned with the safety of workers in high‐risk industries.