Safety in high-reliability organizations: The role of upward voice, team learning, and safety climate

Abstract

Introduction: Maintaining and sustaining safety is extremely critical in high-reliability organizations. Upward voice contributes to a proactive approach to safety and allows the early identification of potential problems before they cascade into tragic consequences. Despite its relevance, research tends to focus on the antecedents of upward voice rather than its consequences or the mechanisms and boundary conditions that explain its potential benefits for safety. Method: This study responds to this research gap by examining the relationship between upward voice and safety performance, and the mediating role of team learning in this relationship. The current study also explores the moderating effect of safety climate on the direct effect of upward voice on team learning. Additionally, it examines how this moderation influences the indirect effect of upward voice on safety performance through team learning. The sample was composed of 617 workers from two nuclear power plants of the same organization. Results: Results revealed a moderated mediation effect: the indirect effect of upward voice on safety performance through team learning was conditional upon the level of safety climate. As safety climate increases, the indirect positive effect becomes stronger.