The impact of management styles upon organisational change and safety cultures

In this paper we discuss the findings of two large studies conducted during 2005/06 that illuminated the role of managers as change agents. We draw the findings together to conceptualise and model the leadership styles and behaviours that appear to be successful in reshaping organisational safety culture. The first study identified the instrumental influence that managers have on the safety culture within organisations. The second study revealed the influential role of managers as change agents during a cultural change initiative when they applied a flexible approach using formal and informal agencies of change. The paper situates these two studies in the broad context of transformational leadership and manager behaviour as pivotal factors for safety culture change.