0000000000970854
AUTHOR
Markus Schöbel
Human and organizational factors in European nuclear safety: A fifty-year perspective on insights, implementations, and ways forward
Abstract In this essay we investigate the “lessons learned” within the domain of human and organizational factors (HOF) from operating European nuclear power plants (NPPs) in a fifty-year perspective. Specifically, we consider learning processes at an industry level that aim at promoting human contributions to nuclear safety. This is done by bringing together two main perspectives: (1) a historical perspective on HOF-related institutional and research initiatives is presented by outlining the history of nuclear safety according to three major nuclear accidents, (2) an applied perspective is provided on how HOF are managed in the field. This latter perspective rests on the results of the EU …
Empowering team leadership and safety performance in nuclear power plants: A multilevel approach
Abstract Despite the large body of work on team leadership, hardly any literature has dealt with team leadership in safety performance settings. The goal of the present study is to analyze how team leader behaviors influence team members’ safety performance in nuclear power plants. For this purpose, an empowering leadership approach was assessed. We consider a multilevel model in which safety performance is divided into three types of behaviors. The sample was composed of 479 workers in 54 groups from two Spanish nuclear power plants. The results suggested that leaders’ empowering behaviors generated higher safety compliance behaviors and higher safety participation behaviors by team member…
Linking empowering leadership to safety participation in nuclear power plants: a structural equation model.
Abstract Introduction Safety participation is of paramount importance in guaranteeing the safe running of nuclear power plants. Method The present study examined the effects of empowering leadership on safety participation. Results Based on a sample of 495 employees from two Spanish nuclear power plants, structural equation modeling showed that empowering leadership has a significant relationship with safety participation, which is mediated by collaborative team learning. In addition, the results revealed that the relationship between empowering leadership and collaborative learning is partially mediated by the promotion of dialogue and open communication. Conclusions The implications of th…