ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book focuses on some fundamental theoretical, methodological and empirical questions regarding the relationship between organizational culture and safety. Taking a safety management perspective, the focus tends to be on the formal aspects of safety, while a psychological perspective emphasizes the role of individual perceptions, attitudes and values regarding safety. The formal work procedures forming the backbone of a safety management system can themselves be viewed as instruments of power. One of the reasons for the growing interest in the concept of safety culture is probably that some cultural traits are presumed to favour organizational learning with regard to safety. The organizational taxonomy proposed by R. Westrum has been particularly influential in this respect. The relationship between the ‘planners’ and the ‘doers’ of work processes obviously involves differences of power.
