Introduction
Fire safety refers to the condition of an object in which there is no probability of a fire. Specific measures are taken to eliminate it and exclude its negative consequences and factors if it occurs. Competent and accurate fire safety management is essential for the holistic provision of fire safety. Fire safety management at the enterprise carries out fire prevention work to prevent fires and ensures fire safety at facilities. To successfully solve the tasks of ensuring the fire safety of a subordinate facility, each manager must be aware of the responsibilities assigned to them and comply with them.
The heads of organizations with specific competencies manage the fire safety system. It is also responsible for compliance with fire safety measures and requirements in the event of a dangerous situation. Although the company’s leadership philosophy of risk awareness and the creation of a supportive fire safety culture correlate, it is still necessary to focus on fire safety management at the enterprise.
Safety Culture of the Enterprise
Currently, the problem of the lack of a fire safety culture is very relevant. This is because an influential safety culture is the most critical component of modern progressive production, which is interested in its employees’ safety and the population’s well-being. The company’s safety culture is a set of individual and collective measures aimed at consciously ensuring fire safety to preserve and ensure the life and health of employees. A safety culture requires total commitment from management, considerable time and money resources, as well as constant monitoring (Roughton et al., 2019). The fundamental features of an organization with a high fire safety culture are good communication between all levels of employees and mutual trust. In addition, the fire safety culture implies a general understanding of the importance of safety, that is, ensuring a high level of motivation and confidence in the effectiveness of preventive measures.
The organization’s management in the safety field and the fire safety culture are inextricably linked. Leaders-managers guide and inspire their employees to have a correct and attentive mindset toward fire safety, demonstrating by their example what the attitude to safety should be (Roughton et al., 2019). Moreover, some leaders encourage their employees to have a positive attitude to the culture of fire safety. Those managers responsible for fire safety at the enterprise can influence the level of security at the enterprise, and subsequently, they will also be able to influence the safety culture. That is an essential role in strengthening the attitude to fire safety in companies is played by managers who receive all the necessary knowledge from the systematic work carried out to study the requirements of the fire regime.
Leadership Styles
Transactional
There are different leadership styles, each of which can impact the awareness of danger and the development of a cheerful fire safety culture. The transactional leadership style aims at defining the organization’s goals and the necessary steps toward them and encouraging its employees to perform high-quality tasks (Purwanto et al., 2020). In matters of security at the enterprise, transactional leaders set goals to ensure, for example, fire safety, monitor execution, and provide rewards for achieving goals.
Transformational
There is also a transformational leadership style in which the leaders’ activities focus on raising co-workers’ awareness and fulfilling pre-set goals and objectives that should exceed their own (Purwanto et al., 2020). If transformer leaders pay special attention to workplace safety, their employees will appreciate it and approach this aspect carefully and responsibly. This approach to leadership is successful because managers form a sense of trust in their staff and inspire them to get the maximum effect from completing their tasks (Purwanto et al., 2020). For example, if the leader clearly defines the future of co-workers when implementing security aspects, employees with enthusiasm and support will approach strengthening security in the workplace.
Authentic
Authentic leadership style is also one of the most popular and reflects the relationship between personnel management, psychological aspects, and safety, including fire safety and its results. Psychology is essential because it is closely related to leadership and a safe environment at the enterprise (Novitasari et al., 2020). The manager exerts a competent psychological impact on subordinates and their subjective perception of the security risk. This has a significant effect and gives an understanding of how important fire safety is in the company (Novitasari et al., 2020). Furthermore, with this style of leadership, feedback from employees to the manager is of particular importance, which also makes it possible to improve the safety indicators in the company.
Factors That Form Fire Safety Culture
Many factors contribute to developing a positive fire safety culture in the organization. One of the main factors is the style of management and leadership, since the leader directs their co-workers, trains them, and sets them specific goals and objectives. The next factor is the involvement of employees because depending on how many employees are involved in the implementation of safety aspects, the overall fire safety indicators at the enterprise depend. In this case, the leadership style is also essential since some are built on employees’ trust in management. Thus, it makes it possible to involve the majority in compliance with fire safety rules and regulations.
Communication, organizational training, competence, and compliance with procedures are all essential factors for establishing, maintaining, and strengthening a fire safety culture at the enterprise. A strong safety culture can save many lives and prevent serious injuries (Roughton et al., 2019). In this regard, employees must be involved in any activities and training related to fire safety and make suggestions on strengthening the measures taken. Managers should competently guide their staff, explain the importance of observing fire safety techniques, and invest in ensuring the safety of their employees at their workplaces. The most active employees who are engaged in the field of fire safety should be encouraged and rewarded to motivate the further development of fire safety at the enterprise.
Article Research
Nevertheless, although many organizations actively try to implement security measures at the enterprise, statistics still show that not all companies are determined. According to the International Labor Organization, about 160 people die every 15 seconds in the workplace due to safety violations (Ta et al., 2022). Based on these data, it can be concluded that many enterprises have not taken action to ensure even basic security measures. A transformational management style is noted for enterprises that have implemented various aspects of fire safety. That is, success has been achieved by those managers whom employees trust, who they look at and take an example from.
Leadership Styles of Specific Organizations
Transformational Style at USFS
The development of a fire safety culture combined with leadership is visible in the United States Forest Service (USFS). The company actively promoted the culture of fire safety back in 1995, and the service activity started by forming an internal culture (Flores & Haire, 2021). Transformational leadership was introduced at the enterprise, which made it possible to create changes with the management, which subsequently presented its decision to introduce a safety culture to subordinates. Nevertheless, the USPS also applied psychology to their employees, clearly and competently explaining to them the importance of creating a holistic culture that aims to save lives and ensure the safety of themselves and their colleagues in the workplace.
Authentic Style at Apple
An authentic leadership style has been introduced into the world-famous Apple company, and it is this company that demonstrates its positive attitude to fire safety at the enterprise. The authentic style is characterized by the connection between management personnel and employees, emphasizing psychology and workplace safety. Apple cares about the well-being of its subordinates and, in this regard, actively implements various security measures by involving its employees in joint activities in this area.
An authentic leadership style is only possible with a psychological aspect. Therefore, the company’s management works with its subordinates, exerting psychological influence and explaining in an accessible way the need to comply with environmental safety standards both at production and at the point of sale of products. The company is reliable in the matter of the safety of its employees. It has never been noticed for violating fire safety protocols, which indicates the effectiveness of an authentic leadership style.
Comparison
The example of two companies with different leadership styles shows that each of them is effective in terms of working with employees on the issue of fire safety. The central aspect is that the heads of companies approach fire safety responsibly, demonstrating to their subordinates the importance of this issue. It is how leaders position the need to introduce certain aspects of the organization’s activities that motivate employees to be active and comply with all rules and regulations. Managers can choose any style of working with their subordinates, but their main goal will be to motivate and inspire compliance and improvement of fire safety at the enterprise.
Survey and Interview Results
A survey of people from various organizations was conducted to obtain the most accurate data on the current situation in the field of fire safety at enterprises. The sample excludes the specific names of the companies where the respondents work. Still, for statistics, the leadership style adopted in the company and the active or passive participation employees take in fire safety in their companies were considered.
The data showed that out of 100 people surveyed, 70% work in companies with a transformational leadership style, 20% with an authentic leadership style, and 10% with a transactional one. Of those subordinates to transformational leaders, 60% of employees observe fire safety and make suggestions for improving this aspect. Of those who work with authentic leaders, all employees adjust fire safety to improve and secure their workplace as much as possible. Only half of subordinates to transactional leaders participate in the security of their workplaces.
Based on the survey results, it can be concluded that transformational leadership prevails in companies, and this leadership is most effective in forming a fire safety culture. Often, people need to trust their leader and follow what leaders follow. Therefore, an important role is played by the commitment to compliance and the formation of a safe environment for the company’s leaders. They must remember that their subordinates trust and act according to their goals and objectives. In this regard, transformational leaders should set a goal, for example, to improve fire safety measures in the workplace. Next, the leader must demonstrate the importance of this goal for all employees.
Moreover, the leader needs to identify each employee’s responsibilities, for example, by making proposals to improve the measures taken. To motivate employees, leaders can designate various bonuses, speeding up the submission of suggestions and improving their quality. Thus, each employee will take part in improving the level of fire safety culture and, in the course of work, will realize how important this aspect is.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the company’s fire safety culture is inextricably linked with the leadership style adopted by this company. There are many leadership styles, but the main ones are transformational, authentic, and transactional. These leadership styles differ in how managers manage their employees, including those related to fire safety. Based on the surveys, it follows that the most popular is transformational leadership, which is established on employees’ trust in their managers. The research shows that it is essential for managers to set goals correctly and indicate the importance of the activities carried out for employees, including in the field of fire safety.
References
Flores, D. & Haire, E. (2021). The development of an organizational safety culture in the United States Forest Service. Journal of Forestry, 119(5), 506–519. Web.
Novitasari, D., Siswanto, E., Purwanto, A., & Fahmi, K. (2020). Authentic Leadership and Innovation: What is the Role of Psychological Capital?. International Journal of Social and Management Studies, 1(1), 1-21. Web.
Purwanto, A., Bernarto, I., Asbari, M., Wijayanti, L. M., & Hyun, C. C. (2020). Effect of transformational and transactional leadership style on public health centre performance. Journal of Research in Business, Economics, and Education, 2(1), 304-314. Web.
Ta, M., Kim, T., & Gausdal, A.H. (2022) Leadership styles and safety performance in high-risk industries: A systematic review. Safety and Reliability, 41(1), 10-44. Web.
Roughton, J., Crutchfield, N., & Waite, M. (2019). Safety culture: An innovative leadership approach. Butterworth-Heinemann.