Abstract

The globalization of business and industry in the past decades has led to increasingly complex supply chains that have introduced new and increased risks to workers and employers. Globalization has also caused large increases in the numbers of people traveling across international boundaries on a regular basis to perform their work. These workers then interact with a broad range of people from other cultures, often working side-by-side on projects. Managers of global companies and joint ventures may have large groups of new local employees that they will need to communicate with and motivate, to reach organizational objectives and goals. The managers of occupational safety and health (OSH) programs need to consider the culture of employees in order to fully develop a culture of safety within the regional operations. This chapter provides a discussion of what safety culture and climate are, and how national cultures might influence and shape the corporate safety cultures necessary to reach organizational goals.