Decline in the growth rate of worker productivity as well as the failure of other types of organizational development strategies to improve productivity has resulted in considerable interest in strategies to change employee behavior. This situation has led to the rapid growth of organizational behavior modification (OBM) as an approach to organizational change. Performance feedback interventions have been used in numerous settings to improve work behaviors (Prue & Fairbanks, 1981). OBM has worked especially well in improving safe work behavior in the work place. However, when new approaches are used in dealing with human behavior, much systematic, thorough research must be conducted to ascertain the benefits of the components of that approach. OBM has basically four components: observation, measurement feedback, and reinforcement. The focus of this study is the component of feedback. Many studies, which will be discussed in more detail later, have dealt with feedback in conjunction with other factors, such as supervisory praise, training, and goal-setting. These other factors have confounded the value of feedback. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to ascertain the value of feedback to OBM.

No description available.

The rapidly increasing loss of industrial accidents has become a big barrier to the development of modern industry. Therefore, safety and reliability in the industry should be treated seriously. Although there are many achievements in safety and reliability research, still many challenges are waiting for people to address. Human reliability is one of the most representative challenges. The source idea and methodology of human reliability are very different with facility reliability analysis, so in most system reliability analysis, facility reliability and human reliability are isolated with each other, and sometimes, human reliability is even neglected, which decrease the quality of system reliability analysis. However, according to many safety reports, human factors are always playing the root reason or one of the root reasons to activate the accidents. Regarding that, the integrated model, which involves human reliability and facility reliability, should be constructed. Therefore, in this Ph.D. research, a Markov chain based mathematical model, which contains human reliability and facility reliability, is established. Besides, only a simple model is not enough in solving the integrated reliability analysis problem, so the mathematical will be taken in optimization to find the best solutions for system reliability with the consideration on reliability requirements and budget requirements. Afterwards, based on the optimized result on human reliability, a Cognitive Reliability and Error Analysis Method (CREAM) based method is adopted to predict the real human reliability data, and if the real data fails to meet the optimized human reliability data, the CREAM will be used as a method to reasonably and logically provide a variety of human reliability promotion plans for people use. Finally, facing those plans, a decision supporting model should be built to help people choose the most reasonable plan for current use and future updating. Overall, an integrated model for both human and facility factors is constructed for industry use. This new proposed model has been tested on Beihai LNG Terminal in Guangxi China.

The purpose of this study was to determine if the implementation of a Behavioral Safety process in a high tech worksite decreases injuries and their severity. The study also sought to determine interest and participation in the corporate Behavioral Safety process. Past injury data were collected and analyzed from corporate and site-specific sources to compare injury rates of sites that had implemented the Behavioral Safety processes to sites that did not implement the process. A Behavioral Safety survey was administered to 1569 employees to determine the level of interest and perceptions of the Behavioral Safety Observation and Feedback (BSOF) process at Corvallis. The survey data was gathered using Websurveyor software. No discernable differences in OSHA Recordable Case Rate (OCR) and Lost Workday Case Rate (LWCR) were noted for sites that had implemented BSOF processes when compared to those that had not implemented the process. Behavioral Safety sites, however, showed decreases in the Lost Workday Rates (LWR), whereas the Non-Behavioral Safety sites showed increases in the LWR, suggesting that more severe injuries have declined at BSOF sites. The results showed that there was a decrease in the number of injuries in the Corvallis high-risk job grouping from the period of FY'98 to FY'01. Individuals in this job class operate manufacturing equipment, maintain equipment, work in labs, or clean room environments. Similarly, there was an increase in the number of injuries in the medium and low-risk job groupings. These results suggest that the respondents in higher-risk areas (e.g. operators) were more likely to agree that there is a need to have a Behavioral Safety Process in place and functioning. In lower-risk areas (e.g. office workers), the respondents were less likely to agree that participation in a Behavioral Safety process is needed. Individuals who worked in manufacturing areas demonstrated more support for the process than did individuals in office environments. Additionally, in areas where management support was present, more employee support was visible. The study showed an overall low level of interest in the process among participants, and a lower level of interest by non-participants. Most would prefer to use a process other than BSOF to improve personal behavior. Despite the lack of interest in BSOF by participants, the respondents only partially supported a voluntary process and they indicated increased safety awareness at work and at home. This included increased recognition of safe behaviors in the work area, and an improved ability to give and receive feedback to others. / Graduation date: 2002

Assignment (MCur)--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references.

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Auburn University,2006. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references (p.114-117).

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2003. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains ix, 94 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 35-36).

No description available.

Occupational safety is gaining a higher profile across all sectors of the United Kingdom's economy. This is largely a result of developments in legislation, increased indemnity insurance and the successful promotion of safety practice through the work of the Health and Safety Executive and the writings of health and safety professionals. This thesis has been undertaken to develop a dynamic simulation model of occupational safety strategy using system dynamics and empirically test it in an industrial setting. The work also seeks to capture a measure of the suitability of the occupational safety model as a pedagogic and decision-making aid. The results show that the occupational safety model was successfully developed, tested and evaluated within a firm. A range of alternative scenarios which suggested reductions in accidents at work and the costs of running a safety management system were predicted by the model. The relevant managers of the industrial enterprise were able to appreciate the model's capability for acting as an instruction tool to improve safety in the workplace. They were also able to judge the usefulness of the model for reducing occupational accidents and their related costs.