Abstract
Senior managers have been described as a ‘neglected species’ in safety research, yet their influence on organisational performance is frequently examined in relation to productivity and financial success. The Energy Institute is now sponsoring a research project on senior managers' safety leadership in the oil and gas industry. This paper presents early findings from a series of interviews with senior managers and safety experts from within the energy sector. The paper explores whether particular leadership styles influence senior managers' ability to promote safety within their organisations. Descriptions of effective safety leaders consistently included elements of transformational leadership, supporting findings from previous research. The interviews also revealed that elements of authentic leadership appear to be particularly crucial for safety leadership from the senior management level.
