關係導向文化之安全管理

Abstract

關係導向的文化普遍存在大中華地區(如中國大陸、台灣、香港)，近來，愈來愈多的組織研究者對於關係導向的文化的管理模式有著濃厚的興趣，然而，回顧過去的研究，我們發現在安全管理的領域的研究並不多見。因此，本篇論文第一部份探討關係導向文化的安全管理，本研究以台灣高風險產業作為研究對象，試圖探討關係導向文化的安全管理模式，本模式假設組織階層的因素會透過團隊階層的因素來影響個人的安全覺知與安全行為。研究的結果支持我們原先的假設，我們發現在關係導向文化中，安全領導風格(管理者對於安全的承諾)與組織氣氛(和諧人際關係)會影響團隊階層的運作(如，安全監督、安全報告、團隊合作)，進而影響到個人安全覺知及安全行為。另外，面臨全球化時代的來臨，很多的企業正快速將生產與製造的基地從已開發國家移往新興開發中國家，跨文化差異的管理問題愈來愈重要，回顧過去在安全管理的領域的研究，我們同樣也發現在安全管理領域跨文化差異比較文獻並不多。因此，論文的第二部份則嘗試從跨文化安全管理的角度，探討不同國家間安全管理的差異。本研究比較台灣與日本的組織安全氣候的特性與安全管理模式的差異。本研究以台灣與日本煉油廠為研究對象，研究結果發現台灣安全氣候的特性為：由上而下控制的安全領導風格，反應式的安全管理方式，關係導向的團隊互動，以及服從驅動式的安全行為。而日本安全氣候的特性為：由下而上參與的安全領導風格，主動式的安全管理方式，任務導向的團隊互動，以及目標驅動式的安全行為。此外，從安全管理模式的比較中顯示在台灣，組織因素對於個人安全績效的影響大多發生於認知的層次(cognitive level)，亦即知識與覺知的層次。而日本組織因素對於安全績效的影響大多發生於行為的層次(behavioral level)，亦即行動的層次。本篇研究的結果將不僅提供我們在台灣的高風險產業以及其他關係導向文化地區進行安全管理改善計畫的依據，同時也可以提供企業更有效洞察安全管理如何從已開發國家遷移到新興國家的過程，有助於企業進行全球化的參考。

Organizational theorists have recently begun to pay research attention to the workforces of emerging countries in the greater China regions, where guanxi-oriented culture is prevalent. However, little research has focused factors affecting safety management in these countries. This first study of the research explored the relationships among organizational level factors, work group level factors, and safety awareness and practices in Taiwan, which like most regions of greater China is guanxi-oriented (relationship-oriented). We hypothesized that organizational factors in a guanxi-oriented culture, characterized as paternalistic leadership and harmonious atmosphere, would influence group level safety management, which would in turn influence individual level safety awareness and practices. To test this hypothesis, a safety climate questionnaire was distributed to Taiwanese plants in high risk industries. We found that leadership style (management commitment) and harmonious atmosphere (harmonious relationship) had a significant influence on work group processes, which in turn influence individual safety awareness and practices. Moreover, in the present era of globalization, industrial manufacturing facilities are moving increasingly from developed countries to emerging countries. Safety management programs of overseas subsidiaries should effectively consider organizational characteristic differences and their influence mechanisms in different countries. However, such attempts were rarely conducted in prior literature. The second study of the research attempted to identify idiosyncrasies of organizational factors on safety and their influence mechanisms in Taiwan and Japan. Data were collected from employees of Taiwanese and Japanese oil refinery plants. Results showed that organizational factors on safety differ in the two countries. Organizational characteristics in Taiwanese plants are highlighted as: top-down directive safety leadership, reactive safety management approach, relationship-focused teamwork style, and conformance-driven safety performance. Organizational characteristics in Japanese plants are highlighted as: bottom-up participative safety leadership, proactive safety management approach, task-focused teamwork style, and goal-driven safety performance. The casual relationships between organizational factors and workers’ safety performance reveal different organizational characteristics on safety performance in the two countries. The influence of organizational factors in Taiwan takes place at the cognitive level (i.e., knowing and awareness) whereas in Japan it takes place at the behavioral level (i.e., action). These findings can serve as a basis for safety improvement in the greater China areas (guanxi-oriented culture) and provide insights into areas of safety improvement in emerging countries and developed countries respectively.