Date of Award
2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Organizational Leadership
First Advisor
Carlos V. Guzman, Ph.D.
Second Advisor
Jonathan Greenberg, Ed.D.
Third Advisor
Joseph Jaconette, Ed.D.
Abstract
Purpose: This nonexperimental quantitative study aimed to examine the relationship between various leadership styles using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ; Bass & Avolio, 1995) and employees’ perceptions of their organization’s safety culture based on a developed Safety Perception Questionnaire (SPQ) within the context of a public transportation agency. Methodology: This study used a quantitative approach to collect data from employees in a public transportation agency. Leadership characteristics were assessed using the MLQ, which is a self-report tool designed to measure three distinct leadership styles. The employees’ MLQ scores were correlated with their results on the SPQ, which evaluates perceptions of the organization’s safety culture.
Findings: The study confirmed existing research by demonstrating that leadership characteristics significantly influence an organization’s perception of its safety culture. Transformational leadership had a strong impact on safety culture, and transactional leadership exerted a moderate yet significant influence. Conversely, passive-avoidant leadership was also strongly associated with safety perception, but in a negative manner.
Conclusions: The findings suggest that organizations aiming to enhance their safety culture should emphasize transformational leadership behaviors while recognizing transactional leadership’s supportive role. Conversely, passive-avoidant leadership should be minimized because it does not foster a positive safety culture.
Recommendations: Senior management should consider the influence leadership has on their organization’s safety culture when hiring and training management personnel for key roles. Behavioral-based interview questions may be helpful in assessing candidates’ ability to inspire, motivate, and engage employees. In addition, training and development programs should be continual, proactive, data-driven, and aligned with the organization’s safety objectives to cultivate a safety-conscious workforce.
Recommended Citation
Hadley, Paul, "Leadership’s Impact on Employees’ Perception of Their Safety Culture in a Public Transportation Organization" (2025). Dissertations. 602.
https://digitalcommons.umassglobal.edu/edd_dissertations/602