Week 3 Project

Leadership, Safety, and Employee Trust

Billions of dollars are lost due to workplace safety violations. The expenses that are paid out annually could be used to offset wages, improve the compensation plan for employees, create better training programs, and allow the organization to purchase the latest technology to improve company ef�ciency. The bottom line is that poor safety planning and the lack of effective leadership can be the downfall in encouraging employees to adhere to safety guidelines. The leaders must set the example for all employees to follow. In order for the employer to lay the foundation for safety, the employees must trust those in his or her leadership. A part of establishing trust within the group is to recognize your leadership style and how this style is perceived by the employees. A leader who belittles, demotivates, and refuses to acknowledge employees’ concerns will not have employee loyalty or trust. As you embark on your career path, evaluate the following leadership styles: transformational leadership, transactional leadership, and empowering leadership.

Leadership Styles Review each leadership style to learn more.

Transformational Leadership

Transactional Leadership

Reference Clarke, S., Probst, T. M., Guldenmund, F. W., & Passmore, J. (2016). The Wiley Blackwell handbook of the psychology of occupational

safety and workplace health. Malden, MA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Keep in mind which leadership style will assist you in building trust in the work environment and how this leadership style translates into a cost-effective strategy for the organization in terms of workplace safety. The leader must exhibit the following core behaviors in order to gain employee buy-in for all safety initiatives:

Communicate the reason for the safety policies and the outcome.

Follow the safety guidelines (lead by example).

Maintain safety standards.

Engage employees in all safety policies and procedures.

Reward employees for complying with the safety policies.

Trust needs to exist between the leaders and the employees. There must also be interpersonal and group trust. When the employees believe that the leaders will set strong workplace safety examples, this will positively in�uence the employees’ job performance, behavior, and attitudes. Thus, the safety climate should be built on a mutual trust.

Empowering Leadership

Additional Materials

From your course textbook The Wiley Blackwell Handbook of the Psychology of Occupational Safety and Workplace Health, read the following chapters:

Safety Leadership

Trust-Based Approaches to Safety and Productivity

Jobs and Safety Behavior

From the South University Online Library, read the following articles:

Trust and Distrust in Safety Leadership: Mirror Re�ections?  (https://www.thecampuscommon.com/library/ezproxy/ticketdemocs.asp? sch=suo&turl=http://search.ebscohost.com.southuniversity.libproxy.edmc.edu/login.aspx? direct=true&db=psyh&AN=2011-12311-017&site=eds-live)

Promoting Safety Voice with Safety-Speci�c Transformational Leadership: The Mediating Role of Two Dimensions of Trust  (https://www.thecampuscommon.com/library/ezproxy/ticketdemocs.asp? sch=suo&turl=http://search.ebscohost.com.southuniversity.libproxy.edmc.edu/login.aspx? direct=true&db=edsovi&AN=edsovi.10.1037.a0025101&site=eds-live)



