Learning from incidents is important for improving safety. Many companies spend a great deal of time and money on such learning procedures. The objectives of this paper are to present some early results from a project aimed at revealing weaknesses in the procedures for learning from incidents and to discuss improvements in these procedures, especially in chemical process industries. The empirical base comes from a project assessing organizational learning and the effectiveness of the different steps of the learning cycle for safety and studying relations between safety-specific transformational leadership, safety climate, trust, safety-related behavior and learning from incidents. The results point at common weaknesses in the organizational learning, both in the horizontal learning (geographical spread) and in vertical learning (double-loop learning). Furthermore, the effectiveness in the different steps of the learning cycle is low due to insufficient information in incident reports, very shallow analyses of reports, decisions that focus at solving the problem only at the place where the incident took place, late implementations and weak solutions. Strong correlations with learning from incidents were found for all safety climate variables as well as for safety-related behaviors and trust. The relationships were very strong for trust, safety knowledge, safety participation and safety compliance.
Common characteristics among people who seek out high risk situations are tendencies towards high risk propensity and sensation seeking. Although research indicates that these tendencies can in some ways be positive for dealing with high risk situations, they also have a negative side. Thus positive relationships have been demonstrated between high sensation seeking and negative risk taking such as alcohol and drug abuse, careless driving and dangerous handling of weapons. However, the distinction between maladaptive and adaptive risk taking has been insufficiently studied both within civil and military settings. Findings from previous studies indicate that peoples inclination towards risk behavior is a rather complex phenomenon related to situation, demographic factors, traits as well as beliefs. In this paper we focus on how several of these aspects are related to each other and particularly how they are related to different dimensions of risk propensity, among a sample of Swedish military personnel. Questionnaire data were gathered from two military groups (N = 169) under contract for international missions. Preliminary results show that impulsivity and safety values constitute important explanatory factors of individual variations in risk propensity and sensation seeking. Individuals with a higher degree of risk propensity and sensation seeking tendencies seem to be characterized by a lack of deliberation as well as a skeptical attitude towards safety issues. Furthermore, different 'risk profiles' could be identified based on variations in risk propensity, impulsivity and safety values. The results highlight relevant aspects for identifying maladaptive as well as adaptive risk takers. The implications should be of interest for recruiting processes and educational communication for all professions where risks are salient and the consequences of individual mistakes are costly.
Aims: In response to the 2009 outbreak of A/H1N1 influenza, Swedish authorities decided on a programme for universal vaccination. Over 60% of the population received at least one dose of vaccine. This study examines demographic factors and perceptions related to the decision whether or not to become vaccinated. Methods: A combined web/postal survey was conducted (n = 1587, response rate 53%) in late spring 2010. Questions reported here concerned perceptions, precautionary behaviours and vaccination decision. Results: Main reasons for becoming vaccinated were concerns about spreading the disease to relatives or in the community and confidence in the good effect of vaccination. Vaccination rates were higher among women, those with young children or belonging to a risk group. Main reasons for abstaining were belief that the flu was not a serious threat, low risk of spreading the disease, concern about side-effects and perceived uncertainties in information. Three profiles representing different patterns of thought and beliefs were identified by cluster analysis, respectively labelled as a vulnerable, a trusting and a sceptical group. Vaccination rates and precautionary behaviours were demonstrated to differ between these groups. Conclusions: Perceptions relating to the 2009 pandemic are likely to influence uptake of vaccination in the future. Authorities need to be aware of different patterns of beliefs and attitudes among the public, and that these may vary in different phases. Communication of risk needs to be dynamic and prepared to engage with the public before, during and even for some time after the acute risk period.
Rapporten presenterar fyra empiriska studier som genomfördes under perioden 2008-2010. Gemensamt för studierna är att de belyser faktorer som påverkar attityder till risk- och säkerhet vid militär verksamhet, med särskilt fokus på individuella karakteristika, ledarskap, och gruppsammanhållning. Däremot uppvisar studierna en betydande bredd i tillämpningsområdet då de belyser dessa aspekter inom olika militära grupper.
De samlade fynden från studierna visar att individuella karakteristika utryckt i termer av spänningssökande tendenser, säkerhetsskepticism och säkerhetsfatalism har en betydande påverkan på individens risk- och säkerhetsattityder. Resultatet visar också att den grad i vilken den närmaste chefen framhåller risktagning och/eller betonar säkerhet i sitt ledarskap får konsekvenser för underställdas risk- och säkerhetsuppfattningar. Det kan också konstateras utifrån studierna att graden av uppgiftssammanhållning och erfarenhet av utlandstjänst påverkar den enskildes risk- och säkerhetsuppfattningar. Variationer i risk- och säkerhetsattityder tycks i sin tur delvis kunna förklara bristande säkerhetsbeteenden.
Dagens militära operationer ställer stora krav på militär personal, i synnerhet ledare, att bedöma, kommunicera och hantera risk- och säkerhetsfrågor inom ramen för ett brett spektrum av miljöer och uppdrag. Studierna bidrar i detta sammanhang med kunskap om aspekter som bör beaktas av ledare och i utbildningar för att skapa ett positivt och effektivt risk- och säkerhetsklimat.
Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka reliabiliteten för det internationellt använda testet Evaluation of Risks Scale (EVAR) i en svensk militär kontext. EVAR mäter en generell riskbenägenhet men också olika subdimensioner av riskbenägenhet. I studien studerades också relationen mellan riskbenägenhet, olika typer av impulsivitet och säkerhetsvärderingar. Slutligen undersöktes skillnader mellan respondentgrupperna för de studerade variablerna.
Resultatet visar att EVAR kan användas i en svensk militär kontext och på ett reliabelt sätt ge kunskap om variationer i riskbenägenhet hos militär personal. I synnerhet uppvisas tillfredsställande reliabilitet för generell riskbenägenhet och delskalorna danger seeking, invincibility, risk/thrill seeking och self confidence. Resultatet ger också belägg för att impulsivitet och säkerhetsvärderingar utgör viktiga förklaringsfaktorer för individuella variationer i riskbenägenhet. Vidare indikerar studien att olika typer av ”riskprofiler” kan identifieras utifrån variationer i riskbenägenhet, impulsivitet och säkerhetsvärderingar. Slutligen visar resultatet att graden av riskbenägenhet kan skilja sig åt mellan olika militära grupper.
Att tidigt kunna identifiera personer med farligt risktagande och/eller spänningssökande torde vara av betydelse för de riskfyllda verksamheter som tjänstgöring i insatsförsvaret innebär. Denna studie ger i detta sammanhang intressanta implikationer vad gäller mätning och analys av relevanta aspekter och tar därmed ut riktningen för fortsatta studier inom det svenska försvaret.
The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of flotation REST upon skilled and less skilled golfers’ anxiety in terms of physiological indicators of stress, self-rated anxiety scores, muscle tension, and the effect on golf putting. Prior to performing the putting task participants underwent a treatment of flotation REST or a period of resting in an armchair. Participants completed both treatments in a randomized order with a two-week interval. The results showed that both flotation REST and the armchair treatment reduced systolic blood pressure and heart rate, with no differences between treatments or athlete skill levels. No significant differences between treatments were revealed regarding self-ratings, level of muscle tension or putting precision. The results indicate that flotation REST may be useful for reducing negative symptoms related to stress and anxiety in general; however, no support for direct positive effects on golf performance were found.
The purpose was to examine relationships between individual characteristics, leadership, group cohesion, and risk and safety attitudes among Swedish conscripts (N = 389). The longitudinal questionnaire study revealed positive associations between safety-specific leadership and safety attitudes, while safety skepticism and leadership promoting risk taking were associated with stronger attitudes of necessary risk taking. Attitudes of unnecessary risk taking, on the other hand, were negatively related to safety-specific leadership and group cohesion, but positively associated with safety fatalism and leadership promoting risk taking. Decreases in safety attitudes were found between basic and unit training. The results highlight the importance of a balanced leadership.
Military activities inevitably include an element of calculated risk taking, while at the same time the unnecessary taking of risks must be minimized. Within the context of the specific mission and situation, a number of factors relating to demographic variables, traits and beliefs may influence individual inclinations towards risk behaviour. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between such factors and individual risk propensity. Questionnaire data were gathered from two samples of Swedish soldiers and officers (N = 169) under contract for international missions. Data were analyzed using regression and cluster analyses. Our results show that demographic variables as well as traits and safety values constitute important explanatory factors of individual variations in risk propensity and sensation seeking. Men demonstrated a more skeptical view of safety measures and a higher risk propensity than women. Individuals with a higher degree of risk propensity and sensation seeking tendencies seem to be characterized by a lack of deliberation as well as a skeptical attitude towards safety issues. Furthermore, different “risk profiles” could be identified based on variations in risk propensity, impulsivity and safety values. The results highlight relevant aspects for identifying functional as well as non-functional risk takers. The implications should be of interest for recruiting processes as well as for training and leadership education.
Issues concerning risks in the military have gained increased attention within the Swedish Armed Forces, particularly relating to the new focus on an all voluntary force participating in international missions. Military activities inevitably include an element of calculated risk-taking, while at the same time the unnecessary taking of risks must be minimized. Within the context of the specific mission and situation, a number of factors relating to demographic variables, traits and beliefs may influence individual inclinations towards risk behaviour. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between such factors and individual risk propensity. Data were collected from two samples of Swedish soldiers and officers. Examining demographic variables, negative safety values and risk propensity were found to decrease with age, while men demonstrated a more sceptical view of safety measures and a higher risk propensity than women. The trait known as lack of deliberation, reflecting an inability to think ahead and foresee consequences, was positively related to risk propensity. A more sceptical view of safety was shown to be associated with a higher sense of personal invincibility and together with lack of deliberation predicted variations in danger-seeking scores. The distinction between functional and non-functional risk-taking is discussed on the basis of the relationships found in the study. Implications for recruitment to the military as well as for training and leadership are suggested, emphasizing the need for military leaders to balance their leadership in terms of safety-oriented and risk-promoting behaviours.
Cohesion is one of the most studied group phenomena and there is an agreement among scholars today that cohesion is a key contributor to team functioning and performance. A large body of research has shown that cohesion has several positive effects on psychological, social, and behavioral outcomes. Since research on cohesion has increased significantly in recent decades there is a need for an updated overview of research regarding antecedents and outcomes of cohesion in a military context. In this paper, a systematic literature review is conducted. The paper adheres to suggestions by scholars, relating the results in accordance with the dimensionality (i.e. social, task, or general) and organizational level of the construct (i.e. horizontal, vertical, or organizational) as well as focusing exclusively on studies with a longitudinal design. The paper highlights gaps in the literature and provides direction for future research.
International operations have become one of the main tasks for the Swedish Armed Forces (SAF). The SAF and Swedish National Defence College organize annual international staff exercises with the purpose of training officers to carry out effective staff work. This study analyzed a staff exercise using Edmondson's team learning model in a military setting. The model was developed by including group cohesion. As defensive routines are a threat to team learning behavior, the possible presence of these was examined. The results indicate that team leader coaching is crucial to support all the variables in the model. The added variable of group cohesion contributed with insights on how the commander used task solving to create group cohesion. Some examples of defensive routines were also revealed but there seemed to be challenges in identifying such routines in this type of exercise setting.
Military personnel needs to be resilient to be able to remain effective, motivated, and in good mental and physical health. Military organizations select on resilience to determine whether candidates are psychologically fit for their job. The INSPIRE Resilience Scale (IRS) is such a selection instrument that aims to assess the psychological resilience potential of candidates in high-risk professions. A longitudinal predictive validity study was conducted in five European Defense organizations and in the Dutch National Police. The IRS was submitted in selection (N = 11,404), and criterion data about performance and health were collected in the second half of the first training year (N = 726). The results based on correlational and regression analyses showed that the IRS scores significantly predicted the criterion measures. Emotional stability, part of the IRS, turned out to be the best predictor. Results also showed that candidates who dropped out of training had significantly lower means on the IRS in selection than candidates who were still in training in the second half of the first training year. Overall, the IRS proved to be a valid instrument to assess resilience potential in candidates for high-risk professions. Selecting on resilience may therefore contribute to training success and reduction of health problems.
Background:
The Swedish Armed Forces (SAF) have had difficulties in recruiting a sufficient amount of cadets to the officer program during the period with an all-volunteer force.
Participants and procedure:
Data were collected from different officer programs. 318 respondents fostered in the all-volunteer force (AVF) system completed the questionnaire and a cross-sectional design was used where cadets received a questionnaire at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of their training.
Results:
The results show that the informants perceived a clear distinction between leadership challenges in the short and long term. The cadets rate their practical knowledge/experience and gaining trust as most challenging in the short term, and personnel supply and reorganization in the long term. Younger cadets rate leadership challenges higher than older cadets do, which is in line with maturing as a human being and gaining more experience. Results based on personality were consistent with previous studies. Two of the future challenges for cadets, short-term leadership and knowledge challenges, showed associations with extraversion and neuroticism.
Conclusions:
The results illustrate important topics to be stressed during the three year long officer program, in order to prepare cadets both with knowledge and skills but also with confidence and trust. This is of particular importance as the need to increase the number of cadets graduating from the academic officer program is growing. It implies that more and more cadets will be recruited directly from the basic military training, i.e., being young with relatively low military and leadership experience.