Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2016 Triangulating a Sustainable Safety Culture in the Readymade Garment Industry of Bangladesh Maurice Len Brooks Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Public Administration Commons, Public Policy Commons, and the Social Psychology Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Maurice Brooks has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Heather Mbaye, Committee Chairperson, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Dr. George Kieh, Committee Member, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Dr. David Milen, University Reviewer, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2016 Abstract Triangulating a Sustainable Safety Culture in the Readymade Garment Industry of Bangladesh by Maurice L Brooks MA, Long Island University, 2006 MS, Troy University, 2003 BA, University of Maryland University Colleges, 2001 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy and Administration Walden University August 2016 Abstract Many obstacles still exist toward improving safety standards, practices, and culture in the ready- made garment (RMG) industry in Bangladesh. Workers’ beliefs and habits, employers’ level of involvement, and gaps in the regulatory framework necessitate an examination of safety practices to build a foundation for safety culture in the workplace. The focus of this study was to contribute to regulatory reform aimed at creating a safe work environment by exploring the perceptions of workers, employers, and government regulators through the lens of the theory on reciprocal determinism. A total of 41 participants, categorized into three groups of workers, employers, and government regulators, consented to face-to-face interviews. The study provided individual and group perspectives of requirements for safe factories and development of safety culture. Interview data were inductively coded and subjected to a thematic analysis procedure. The results showed the groups collectively prioritized the need for training, collaboration, health, and safety, and they raised concern over civil unrest. The groups differed on the importance placed in areas such as protection of workers, profit, and legal enforcement. The study results can serve to contribute to effective government reform by developing self-efficacy of workers and improve collaboration between workers, employers, and government in the RMG industry of Bangladesh. Triangulating a Sustainable Safety Culture in the Readymade Garment Industry of Bangladesh by Maurice L Brooks MA, Long Island University, 2006 MS, Troy University, 2003 BA, University of Maryland University Colleges, 2001 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy and Administration Walden University August 2016 Dedication I dedicate this study to Bangladesh RMG workers who died or sustained injury due to unsafe working conditions. My prayers go to loved ones affected by such tragedies and to employer and government in their ceaseless efforts to improve safe working conditions in the Readymade Garment industry and society as a whole. Acknowledgments I would like to thank my uncle Herbert E. Wyre and aunt Lillie M. Wyre for providing me the foundation of strength, the lessons of humility, and the drive to constantly move forward through all challenges in life. I would like to also thank the wonderful faculty and staff at Walden University for making the seemingly impossible possible. Also, I thank my United Nation’s family in Sudan, South Sudan, and New York for providing encouragement during this process. Finally, I offer my sincere thanks and gratitude to the ILO-Dhaka Country Director and RMG Program colleagues for their unwaivering and overwhelming support as I navigated my way to completion of this study. Table of Contents List of Tables ................................................................................................................ vi List of Figures .............................................................................................................. vii Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 Background .................................................................................................................... 5 Safety Culture .......................................................................................................... 5 Readymade Garment Industry in Bangladesh ......................................................... 7 Problem Statement ......................................................................................................... 9 Purpose of Study .......................................................................................................... 10 Research Question and Interview Questions ............................................................... 12 Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................... 13 Nature of Study ............................................................................................................ 18 Definitions ................................................................................................................... 19 Assumptions ................................................................................................................ 20 Scope and Delimitations .............................................................................................. 20 Limitations ................................................................................................................... 21 Significance ................................................................................................................. 21 Summary ...................................................................................................................... 23 Chapter 2: Literature Review ............................................................................................ 25 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 25 i Literature Search Strategy ........................................................................................... 26 Theoretical Foundation ................................................................................................ 27 Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................... 30 Review of the Literature .............................................................................................. 32 RMG Industry and Organizational Safety Standards ............................................ 36 Safety Culture and Safety Climate ........................................................................ 40 Effective planning ........................................................................................... 45 Cost and logistics ............................................................................................. 45 Summary ...................................................................................................................... 46 Chapter 3: Research Method ............................................................................................. 49 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 49 Research Design and Rationale ................................................................................... 49 Role of the Researcher ................................................................................................. 51 Sample ......................................................................................................................... 53 Participant Selection Logic .................................................................................... 53 Sample Size ........................................................................................................... 54 Instrumentation ...................................................................................................... 56 Procedures ................................................................................................................... 57 Data Analysis Plan ................................................................................................ 58 Open coding ..................................................................................................... 59 Axial coding ...................................................................................................