a b s t r a c tEncouraging a sound Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) culture is a regulatory requirement for petroleum companies operating on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Although regulators in different industries have increasingly included safety culture in their regulatory repertory, it is still rare that regulators explicitly require sound cultures. In this paper we study how the requirement is 'translated' in two different petroleum companies, discuss why the translations differ and the extent to which they represent good organizational learning about HSE. Translation is seen as a form of organizational learning. The analysis is based on institutional theory, and a virus metaphor for adoption of organizational ideas.The translations of §15 in the two companies differ considerably. There are also signs of translatory 'mutation' or drift from the original intentions behind the requirement. The different translations are explained by differences in histories, complexity and strategy between the companies.The study illustrates the applicability of the translation concept for analyzing organizational learning for safety and the usefulness of a virus metaphor for evaluating learning processes.
Oil and gas companies operating on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) have recently implemented behavioral safety programs. The aim of these programs is to improve safety behavior and culture because of negative health, safety and environmental (HSE) results. The "Step By Step Developing And Implementing A HSE Culture Project" presented in this paper aims to prepare the organization for an imagined future with good HSE results. The central premise of this project is that everyone in the organization together builds and forms their organizational culture and identity with HSE as the foundation. To fulfill its intentions the HSE culture project has different steps. Firstly, the organizational characteristics were examined and analyzed. Secondly, the organizational characteristics were used to design the organizational model. Thirdly, the organizational model was implemented in the organization. This is a systemic organizational approach to HSE: (i) employees are involved in every step of the project to make sure that the design of the organizational model reflects how they think and act. (ii) HSE is an integrated part of how the organization does their business. Diversity in perception, understanding and knowhow related to several topics and aspects came out as a potent organizational characteristic in the examination and analysis at the beginning of the project. Because of this, diversity is the basis of the organizational model. Traditionally, diversity and safety have been considered a problem in terms of risk perception, work practice and goals. The results from the project so far indicate that employees and managers at every level have adopted the concept of the HSE culture project by using the terminology in the organizational model. The focus now is on operationalizing the content in the organizational model "from speech to action;" for instance, how to make use of diversity to achieve good HSE results and an overall good performance. At this point in the project, the conclusion is a continuation of the HSE culture project as an everyday process. Managers have a decisive role to make this happen, and it is of crucial importance that managers at every level understand the correspondence between saying and doing. Suggestions on how to make this happen will be presented. The "Step By Step Developing And Implementing A HSE Culture Project" is taking place at GDF SUEZ E&P Norge AS (GDF SUEZ Norge), which is the Norwegian affiliate of GDF SUEZ Exploration & Production.
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