Information by Design: How Employee Perceptions of Organizational Design Relate to Injury Reporting

Using survey methodology, this study examines employee perceptions of two key organizational design factors (employee empowerment and alignment of safety practices) and their relationship with nonreporting of employee injuries and near misses. Results show employee perceptions of alignment of safety practices are related to decreased levels of unreported near misses and unreported first aid injuries. However, perceptions of employee empowerment generated counterintuitive results, indicating empowerment is associated with increased levels of unreported near misses. Given the importance of reporting safety incidents, including near misses, to improving safety outcomes, the results reveal that organizational designs that empower employees with regard to safety may yield unintended—and undesirable—consequences.