C10.7.5.3.2 Subcultures
Subcultures may develop when employees working in the same organisation experience different working conditions.
They can lead to misunderstandings and ultimately conflict between groups. For example, there may be a lack of communication between the day and night shifts, or between different departments.
However, subcultures can be a positive influence on safety, by bringing different perspectives and a diversity of views to safety problems.
Many explanations of safety cultures discuss employees having a shared set of values and beliefs. The presence of subcultures may suggest that values and beliefs are not shared across the whole organisation. It may therefore be impossible to create a positive safety culture across a whole organisation without considering the subcultures that exist and how they interact.