ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT AND THE USE OF ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION TRAINING

Training is widely supported as an effective means for maintaining and improving the quality of accident investigations conducted in various organizational and jurisdictional settings. A problem exists in that those who manage training typically restrict their attention to factors and conditions existing in the immediate training environment and pay little attention to problems and conditions existing in the organizational context from which the trainee is extracted and must return. In this study, a national sample of 297 local, county, and state law enforcement officers reported on organizational problems/conditions that blocked or impeded their use of accident investigation training. Graduates of a 2-week motor-vehicle accident investigation course rated 29 problems/conditions, hypothesized within the literatuure to influence behavior in organizations, on their relative influence on training use. Lack of rewards/incentives for job performance or for training use, lack of time and resources necessary to implement training outcomes, and lack of commitment, communication, and follow-through by administrators were identified by over 30% of the respondents as moderate or major impediments to training use. Findings may be used by safety managers, supervisors, and trainers to enhance training impact and to increase the quality and quantity of accident data and information.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1800052
• Corporate Authors:

  Pergamon Press, Incorporated

  Maxwell House, Fairview Park
  Elmsford, NY  United States  10523
• Authors:
  • McDonald, R M
• Publication Date: 1989

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 55-60
• Serial:
  • Journal of Safety Research
  • Volume: 20
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0022-4375
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00224375

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash investigation; Incentives; Management; Organizations; Training
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Education and Training; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I80: Accident Studies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00486450
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-040 748
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 31 1989 12:00AM