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Risk, Trust, and Safety Culture in U.K. Train Operating Companies

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  • Shelly Jeffcott
  • Nick Pidgeon
  • Andrew Weyman
  • John Walls

Abstract

Organizational safety culture reflects the attitudes and behaviors that individuals share in considering and reacting to hazards and risks. We first argue that trust is an underdeveloped and important concept in relation to theories of safety culture and high‐reliability organizations. The article then reports findings from a two‐year qualitative study of train operating companies (TOCs) in the United Kingdom, which sought to explore in detail the linkages between safety culture and the postprivatized railway industry. In‐depth interviews and focus groups were carried out with a sample of over 500 employees, from four organizations, and representing all key functional levels. Our analysis suggests that the 1993 privatization, and subsequent organizational restructuring of the U.K. railway industry, has had important repercussions for both safety culture and trust relationships. We explore our findings in relation to three key constructs within “safe organizations” theories (namely, flexibility, commitment, and learning), and discuss how the safe organization model might be usefully supplemented by a consideration of trust issues.

Suggested Citation

  • Shelly Jeffcott & Nick Pidgeon & Andrew Weyman & John Walls, 2006. "Risk, Trust, and Safety Culture in U.K. Train Operating Companies," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(5), pages 1105-1121, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:riskan:v:26:y:2006:i:5:p:1105-1121
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1539-6924.2006.00819.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Akbar Zaheer & Bill McEvily & Vincenzo Perrone, 1998. "Does Trust Matter? Exploring the Effects of Interorganizational and Interpersonal Trust on Performance," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(2), pages 141-159, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Byrnes, Kenneth P. & Rhoades, Dawna L. & Williams, Michael J. & Arnaud, Anke U. & Schneider, Andrew H., 2022. "The effect of a safety crisis on safety culture and safety climate: The resilience of a flight training organization during COVID-19," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 181-191.
    2. Milch, Vibeke & Laumann, Karin, 2019. "The influence of interorganizational factors on offshore incidents in the Norwegian petroleum industry: Challenges and future directions," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 84-96.
    3. Bugalia, Nikhil & Maemura, Yu & Ozawa, Kazumasa, 2021. "Characteristics of enhanced safety coordination between high-speed rail operators and manufacturers," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).

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